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PALAVAKKAM: Serving society in his own way
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R. Desikan has been spreading awareness about consumer rights for about three decades.
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IT ALL started when R. Desikan, trustee, Consumer Association of India (CAI), gave his Ambassador car for service. After the service and repair, an unsoldered part near the front door caused an injury on his finger. "As my finger was bleeding, I questioned the manager about the broken part. He smiled and said that you are a lucky man. Some people go with an engine failure even after service."
The incident opened my eyes and I started working towards consumer rights," says Desikan.
As a publisher of one of the first neighbourhood newspapers, "South Madras" in the 1970s, he says that his newspaper mainly focussed on problems the consumers faced. "There was awareness about consumer rights even before the Consumer Act was passed. The Act gave more teeth to the organisation. The CAI's first workshop had about 200 people participating and discussing consumer related laws and other issues," he says.
A resident of Palavakkam, Desikan agrees that there is an increased awareness now. "Although the offenders are punished, the consumers do not benefit much from it. If there is an adulteration in food items, the penalty that the offender has to pay is very less compared to the sufferings the consumer undergoes eating the adulterated food," he says.
However, people now have come to know that a consumer rights forum exists in the city where they can probably air their grievances and seek redressal.
"Though we receive lot of calls everyday, some of the complaints may not be genuine. But what is important is the initiative taken and that has to be encouraged," he says.
Consumer Association of India is a registered public charitable trust focussing on dissemination of information, starting consumer clubs in schools, organising seminars and workshops on rights and responsibilities of patients and doctors, rational use of drugs, helmet campaign and other such issues.
"We have with us professionals who are well versed in diverse fields. They provide the resource material for our projects. Our target is the middle-income group. And if we can turn them into responsible citizens, then we have achieved our purpose," he feels. The fee to become a member of this association is Rs.365. The office is located at Ram Garden Road, off Anna Salai, Palavakkam.
For further information contact, 24512469.
P.S.
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