March 23, 2002
'39'KERALA CONSUMER FORUM BAGS NATIONAL CONSUMER PROTECTION AWARD
Confederation of Consumer Vigilance Centre, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) was awarded the first prize for Consumer Protection for the year 2000. The second prize went to Consumer Forum, Chandigarh. Awards for NGOs for consumer protection known as ‘Swami Vivekananda National Award for Consumer Protection’ for the year 2000 were distributed by Shri Shanta Kumar, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution at the 22nd meeting of the reconstituted Central Consumer Protection Council (CCPC) organized here today by the Ministry. These awards comprise certificates of merits and cash prizes of Rs. 50,000/- and Rs. 40,000/- respectively for the first and the second positions. Awards were also given away under women and youth category for consumer protection for the year 2000 by the Minister.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Shanta Kumar, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution urged the State Governments to strengthen the consumer redressal mechanism in every district and the State Commission in every State as stipulated in the Consumer Protection Act. He also called upon the State Governments to utilise the one time grant available to them for supplementing their efforts to improve the infrastructure of consumer forums. The Centre had provided during the period 1995 to 1999 a sum of Rs. 62 crore for this purpose but the utilization of which as on date remains 60 per cent only; the Minister observed. He emphasised the need for making the rural poor of the country aware of their rights as consumers so as to enable them to avail of the benefits of schemes like Antodaya Anna Yojana and other welfare schemes instituted by the Central Ministries. Shri Shanta Kumar said that the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2001 would be passed by Lok Sabha during the Budget Session of Parliament. The Rajya Sabha has already passed the Bill. The Bill when passed is expected to greatly facilitate functioning of Consumer Forums in the country and would help in achieving speedy settlement of consumer disputes, he said.
In his address, Shri V.Srinivasa Prasad, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, called upon the voluntary organisations to intensify efforts to promote the cause of consumer protection in rural areas. He also urged the State Governments to hold integrated awareness camps called ‘Jagriti Shibirs’ for spreading consumer awareness among larger group of people.
In his welcome address, Shri S. Bandopadhyay, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs expressed the hope that the new Consumer Protection Act would strengthen consumer forums, streamline their working and make quick disposal of complaints filed in them.
The CCPC consists of 147 members. The object of the Central Consumer Protection Council established under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 is to promote and protect the rights of the consumers enshrined under the Act. Though the Council is advisory in nature, it has been playing a significant role by suggesting many important measures to promote and protect the interest of the consumers and to strengthen the consumer movement in the country.