National consumers’ day held

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Dec 24

National Consumers’ Day observance was held today at the Manipur Cultural Integration Conference Hall Palace Compound organised by Consumers’ Club Manipur and Manipur Cultural Integration Conference (MCIC).

Yaiskul MLA, Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, Aribam Brajakumar Sharma president of Manipur Cultural Integration Conference and T. Phulchand Sharma president of Consumers’ Club Manipur attended as chief guest, guest of honour and president respectively.

According to T. Phulchand Sharma, National Consumers’ Day was observed with the motive of protecting the interest and rights of consumers after a historic act called ‘Consumer Protection Act 1986’ was given assent by the then President of India on December 24, 1986.

Since then December 24 has been observing as nation National Consumers’ Day across the country but in Manipur it was the act was implemented in the year 1989, said Sharma.

The Act is enshrined with six important rights such as Right to safety, Right to inform, Right to choose, Right to heard, Right to Redressal and Right to consumer education, he stated.

As the people of Manipur are ignorant of these rights its gives opportunity for businessman and traders from other states to do market monopoly resulting in drainage of large economy from the Manipur, he contended.

Blaming the government of Manipur for its failure to give awareness to the consumers about their, he said “It is very unfortunate that our government is not observing National Consumers’ Day. This shows that they don’t have any interest in safeguarding the consumer rights of the people. Rather they steal the rights of people by manipulating Supreme Court guidelines of fair price shop under public distribution system.”

He drew the attention of the government take serious initiative for protecting the consumers’ interest and rights citing the drainage of huge amount of money.

15. Phulchand Sharma also informed that Consumers’ Club along with MCIC is going to organise a series of informative programme on consumers’ rights to make the consumers aware of their rights from starting from today till World Consumers Rights Day that falls on March 15.

Thokchom Satyabarta Singh said that “The purpose behind the observance of consumer day ceremony is to create awareness about the consumers’ rights and it is very essential to observe too as the consumers activities are reducing day by day.”

He assured the gathering to apprise the government about the wishes of the people and converts them into action soon.