State joins World Consumer Rights Day celebrations
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, April 09 2012: Joining the rest of International community, the World Consumer Rights Day was also observed in the State with Department of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of Manipur organising a function at the historic Kangla Fort Hall today.

The function was graced by C Upendra, former President of District Forum, Imphal; S Achoubi, Registrar of State Commission, Manipur and Dr Ch Narendra, former President of District Forum, Imphal as Chief Guest, President and Guest of Honour respectively.

Speaking on the occasion, Upendra observed that consumers of the nation in general and the state in particular lack awareness of their rights and it is because of this that they are facing a whole lot of problems.

So in order to get rid of these problems, the consumers should be made aware of their basic rights.

It is with the motive of making the people to aware and understands their rights as consumers that the World Consumer Rights Day is being observed.

He went on to say that right from the moment we woke up in the morning to the time we retired for the night; all of us remain as consumers.

The shopkeepers and businessmen think only of gaining their profit and selling of consumable goods.

Some of them even go to the extent of adulterating the food items to gain more profit, thereby causing harm to the health of the consumers.

As such the consumers need to be more vigilant.

Upendra pointed out that the consumers have the right to negotiate even with the shopkeepers to lower the price of any product below the Maximum Retail Price (MRP).

The consumers can also pressed the government to provide them with the required amount of power and water since they do not get as promised by the departments concerned.

The departments concerned cannot deny the rights of the consumers as long as they pay their bills in time.

Dr Ch Narendra explained that the issue of consumers' rights has originated from America.

The then President of America, John F Kennedy declared on March 15, 1952 that the day would be observed as Consumer Rights Day.

Since then, March 15 every year is being observed as Consumer Rights Day all over the world.

The rights of the consumers which were raised during those days included mainly Right to Safety, Right to Inform, Right to Choose and the Right to Hear.

The Right to Redress was included in the list later on.

He further informed that the Consumer Rights Day is being observed today taking into consideration the adoption of the International Guideline on April 9, 1985, in the interest of the consumers.

Among the resource persons who spoke on the occasion, L Chandrakumar, former Member of District Forum, Bishnupur presented paper on the topic 'Right to Safety'; S Sadhana, Former Member of District Forum, Bishnupur on 'Right to be Informed'; AC Netrajit, Former Member of District Forum, Imphal on 'Consumer Protection Act 1966, Servicing Centre'; Rk Sumitra, former Member of District Forum, Thoubal on 'Right to be heard'; L Luxmi, former Member of District Forum, Imphal on 'Right to Redress' and L Rameshwar, former Member of District Forum, Thoubal on the topic of 'Right to Consumer Protection Act and Education' .

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