|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A NEW year begins with lots of hope and expectations. The year 2006 is no different. What will it unfold for consumers? There may not be a crystal ball before us, but looking at the year gone by, one can make certain predictions. And considering that the year 2005 was really an action-packed year for consumers, I am quite optimistic about 2006 being as good or even better. Let me share with you the basis for this optimism—some of the important events of last year. I would put first in the list, the creation of a 24-hour toll free national consumer helpline that was inaugurated on March 15. The consumers can call from anywhere in the country to seek information or guidance on resolving their complaints and they do not have to pay any telephone charge for that call. Sponsored by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs and run by the Department of Commerce, Delhi University, the toll-free line (1600-11-4000) is a boon for Indian consumers. And the experience of the past year is helping the department to improve the service further in 2006. Another notable development during 2005 was the setting up of a Consumer Online Resource and Empowerment Centre (CORE), also sponsored by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, but managed by the Consumer Coordination Council (CCC), a coalition of consumer protection groups. The project aims at a comprehensive national resource centre on consumer issues, an on-line database portal, a newsletter service and also an on-line complaint registration and mediation mechanism. The centre will also ensure flow of information to consumers by linking up with district consumer information centres and also various consumer groups and the government. The centre will be fine-tuned further this year. An equally important event was the launching of the hallmarking scheme for silver by the Bureau of Indian Standards in October 2005. Ever since the BIS introduced hallmarking for gold jewellery, there was a demand for similar third party authentication of quality for silver. This was finally carried out last year. In case of silver, hallmarking also ensures that silver is free of the heavy metal—cadmium. So far three assaying centres for testing and hallmarking of silver have been recognised—two in Delhi and one in Ahmedabad. And one jeweller has taken the licence—in Kolhapur in Maharashtra. The scheme is expected to grow and gain more popularity in 2006. In the last one year, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs is increasingly looking at academic institutions for taking further the task of educating consumers and strengthening the consumer movement. Besides Delhi University, many other universities from around the country have shown interest in taking up consumer welfare projects and the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) has been entrusted with the task of evaluating their proposals so that the ministry can fund them. In addition, the IIPA is also entrusted with the job of bringing out a series of publications aimed at consumer education. On December 24, celebrated as National Consumer Day, a set of six monographs was released on different subjects. There will be more books and monographs this year. On December 24, National Consumer Day, the Consumer Affairs Ministry initiated yet again, a plan of action to get the trade and industry to set up an effective alternate system of consumer complaint resolution, on the lines of the "Better Business Bureaus" in the US and Canada. This is not the first time that the government is making such an effort, but this time too, the response from the industry was lukewarm. But the ministry is quite determined to take this further this year. All in all, I would also say that it was a good year, but for the sad demise of H.D. Shourie, doyen of the consumer movement. |
