The Hindu : State's consumer fora doing well: NCGRC

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 13, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

State's consumer fora doing well: NCGRC

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD June 12. Benches of the National Consumer Grievances Redressal Commission (NCGRC) in the country could become a reality once the Centre approved its proposal to increase the number of members from five to seven. Announcing this at a press conference here on Thursday, D.P.Wadhwa, president of the commission, said the two sanctioned members could constitute the bench and sit where required. The commission urged the Government to provide videoconference facility to facilitate interaction with officials and advocates. The facility could save advocates time and money travelling to Delhi in connection with the NCGRC cases.

Justice Wadhwa favoured a salary of Rs.15,000 for presidents of the District Consumer Redressal Fora and Rs.10,000 for members. He clarified that there was no need to pay any fee if the compensation claim was between Rs.50,000 and Rs.1 lakh. In case of higher amount, Rs.100 was to be paid as fee. He praised the State for its better performing fora with the presidents and members being well paid.

Earlier, addressing a workshop on "Building consumer awareness'' jointly organised by the AP Government and State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, he suggested that the fora should be more consumer-friendly. Members of the bench and advocates should be more informal rather than sport gowns and coats. The commission is framing guidelines on the dress code, he said.

Rajyalaxmi Rao, member of NCDRC, called upon NGOs involved in spreading consumer awareness and receiving Government aid to keep the State Government informed. Such organisations should become more active in rural areas.

P. Ramakrishnam Raju, president of the State Commission, said its website would be launched by the Chief Justice of the High Court on Friday.

T.Radha, Commissioner, Civil Supplies, and Shalini Mishra, Director, Consumer Affairs, Civil Supplies, spoke. Representatives of various consumer organisations like Rajam Ganesan, N.Ganesan, Malla Rao, Gupta and Chapa Kumar of Visakhapatnam offered suggestions for improved consumer awareness.

Meanwhile, the State Government had brought under a single umbrella all organisations dealing with the public and christened it "Consumer Affairs State-level Committee,'' said Ms. Shalini Mishra.

Orders constituting the committee were issued on March 13. The organisations involved in the committee are Civil Supplies, Home Science College, Controller of Legal Metrology, Commissioners of Industries/Transport/Commercial Taxes, director of Health, managing director of HMWSSB, director of Institute of Preventive Medicine. N. Ganesan and C.Lalitha Devi, representing comsumer organisations, are also included.

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State's consumer fora doing well: NCGRC