KL Report
Srinagar
The Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CA&PD) and Transport Qamar Ali Akhoon Monday, stressed on launching mass awareness campaign to educate people about their consumer rights, saying that knowledge of rights guarantees their protection.
Akhoon was speaking at a function organised to mark ‘National Consumer Day-2012’ by Consumer Protection Organization (CPO) J&K in collaboration with the Directorate of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, Jammu at Government Women College, Parade, Jammu.
Highlighting the significance of consumer rights, the Minister said that every individual of the society has to share his responsibility in safeguarding consumer rights. He also stressed for involvement of college students and school children in the awareness campaign by way of conducting symposiums and debates in schools and colleges.
The Minister said that the government was making all out efforts to enforce implementation of Consumer Protection Act in letter and spirit so that the rights of the consumers are safeguarded adding that protecting rights of consumers was of paramount importance for the government.
Talking to media on the side lines of the function, the Minister said that the amendments have already been made in the Consumers Act and it has been made more stringent to ensure that the innocent people were not cheated by the dealers, retailers or shopkeepers. He said that every dealer has been asked to keep limited stock in the godown or shops for which close vigil as being kept. He said that there shall be no compromise on black marketing and profiteering.
“Public Service Guarantee Act (PSGA) and Right to Information (RTI) are most important tools for the consumers to safeguard their consumer rights” the Minister added , and said that these Acts have been introduced by the government to enforce transparency and accountability in the essential service providing departments.
