World Consumer Rights Day observed by CPA India

15 March: CONSUMERS' PROTECTION ASSOCIATION (CPA India), a leading National level, Non-Government and Non-Profit Consumer Organization in India has observed World Consumer Rights Day 2008 at Agartala, India. CPA India has organized open market meetings in five market places today as part of celebration of the World Consumer Rights Day. The speakers namely Paban Chandra Deb, Joydip Paul, Bhabatosh Debnath and Haridas Datta, members of CPA India, have highlighted the rights and obligations of the consumers. The theme of this year's WCRD, campaign against junk food marketing, danger of junk food upon the health of the children has been described by the speakers. Mr Paul has also participated in a television talk on this occasion

He was addressing executives of the Corporation Bank on Consumer Protection campaign in India, here recently. Since the enactment of Consumer Act in 1986, consumer redressal machinery had disposed off nearly 25 lakh cases across the country, he added.

“There are 35 state commissions, 604 district forums and a national commission in the country,’’ he informed. Elaborating various measures initiated by the Commission, Shenoy said Consumer Online Resource and Empowerment Centre [CORE (www.core.nic.in)] had been set up at the initiative of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.

“The centre provides online consumer grievance redressal system, providing information relating to consumer rights, assisting in understanding legal procedure, taking up complaint to default parties and also providing a network among voluntary organisations,’’ he said adding; “For all consumer-related information and guidance, a toll free National Consumer Helpline is available. Speed, brevity and equity is hallmark of Consumer Protection.’’

Earlier, Corporation Bank Chairman and Managing Director B Sambamurthy said; “The Corporation Bank is one of the top three public sector banks in the country in terms of investment in technology. The focus of the Bank is on client acquisition.’’

Within a year, the Bank had added one million customers. The Bank had also made significant progress under financial inclusion, having surveyed over 1,200 villages across the country and nearly a lakh savings accounts opened in those villages, he claimed.

“The Bank is now poised to cross the milestone of Rs 1 lakh crore in business by 2008,’’ he added. Bank General Manager B R Bhat was also present.

Friday January 4 2008 09:19 IST, Express News Service

A lesson to be learnt…………

A mobile service provider that deducted Rs 50 from the prepaid account holder Jignesh Darji, without intimation, was penalised by the Vadodara consumer court. The court asked the service provider to pay Darji the Rs 50 along with nine per cent interest and compensation for mental agony. The total sum to be paid to Darji now amounts to Rs 8,550.

The State Consumer Commission on Friday, awarded a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to a passenger of Indian Airlines who was injured when a bag, belonging to another passenger, had fallen on him from the overhead luggage compartment seven years ago. ‘‘(The incident)... demonstrates the utter negligence on the part of the airline in not taking care and caution by ensuring that overhead bins were properly secured and luggage securely stored in them,’’ said Commission president Justice J D Kapoor. He observed that no baggage over five kilograms should be allowed to be stored in the overhead luggage compartments to avoid mishaps.

Source--------TIMES NEWS NETWORK

At last a hope…….

Banks should directly market credit cards and collect their dues from cardholders instead of appointing selling and collecting agents. While selling agents are not forthcoming about the complete terms and conditions of credit cards, collecting agents adopt coercive methods and use abusive language to collect dues. Unfortunately, banks do not take responsibility for their agents’ actions. This was the opinion of various consumer organisations at a seminar on “Credit cards-boon or bane for consumers,” organised by the Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department on Wednesday.

Extracted from ---------The Hindu

A bunch of class action suits filed by around 130 farmers from Maharashtra, seeking compensation for the loss of yield caused by the poor quality of hybrid cotton seeds sold to them, took 14 long years. The entire chain of events puts a huge question mark over the suitability of this forum (consumer courts) for farmers in distress.The need of the hour is that the Union ministry of consumer affairs gives specific instructions to all the consumer courts in the country to take up complaints by farmers on a priority basis and complete the process of resolution of disputes within the shortest possible time. The urgency is heightened by the increasing number of suicides by farmers, particularly in states such as Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Source----The Telegraph, Kolkatta

Now, expect better food on trains

New Delhi: The next time you are unhappy with the quality of food while travelling on a train, expect two ‘‘quality control personnel’’ from reputed hotel management institutes available for redressal of any grievance. As part of its comprehensive revamp of the food catering facility on trains, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has deployed two qualified persons on each train with a 24-hour helpline for customers. The changes also include stringent controls, better monitoring of food and a menu available to the passengers. The public sector giant pledged before the apex court in a PIL hearing that it will do away with water pouches, and replace them with safe bottled water. ‘‘A state of art kitchen has been designed, an in-house training cell has also been set up, specialised equipment is also being procured,’’ the affidavit said, adding that the staff has also been provided with new uniforms. IRCTC submitted that all suggestions have been incorporated.

Source--- TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Its time to act……………

In response to Monday’s tariff hike by Airtel and Hutch that raised SMS and call rates to Rs 1.20 from the earlier Re 1 level, consumer groups across the country have threatened to take legal action unless Trai intervenes and enforces a rollback.

Bejon Misra of Consumer VOICE said, “This is not the first time we are seeing a cartel-like behavior. These two operators have increased rates by the same extent on similar services on the same day. This is far too convenient to be a coincidence.”

Mr. Misra said VOICE and Consumer Coordination Council, a national coalition of 57 leading consumer organisations are waiting for Trai to act, failing which legal recourse is certain. “The regulator is accountable. How is he allowing this,” he questions.

Extracted from --- The Times of India