Justice Ashok Bhan, President, NCDRC, Justice R. V. Raveendran, Justice R. C. Jain, Shri Rajiv Agarwal, Shri S. K. Naik, Shri J. B. Mudgil, Members of the NCDRC, other dignitaries, ladies & gentlemen.
It is my pleasure to be here amongst all of you on the eve of the World Consumer Rights Day which falls on 15th March every year.
The consumer protection programmes and the consumer movement in India got real boost after the enactment of the Consumer Protection Act, `986. It is a unique legislation, which provides for the establishment of consumer safety institutions at district, state and national levels. Our legislation is looked upon as a model legislation in many countries. It has the approval from the highest court of justice of our country and has been a source of strength in the idea of justice.
The provisions of Consumer Protection Act work like a catalyst to force the providers of goods and services to set their own houses in order and to redress consumer grievances by themselves. As a result, the consumers have the benefit of redressing their grievances without recourse to lengthy court proceedings. It is therefore, an imperative that the Consumer Fora function effectively. They must retain their character of being citizen-friendly and result oriented. I am happy that the overall performance of the Consumer Fora so far is satisfactory.
Over 33 lakh cases have been filed so far. Out of these, almost 89% stand disposed. However, in spite of the satisfactory performance of Consumer Fora, a grievance which is commonly expressed is inordinate delay in the disposal of cases. Swift disposal remains a priority for action.
The Consumer Protection Act has been amended thrice so far i.e. in the years 1991, 1993 and 2002. We are in the process of bringing about further amendments to the Act. The amendments proposed would widen the scope of the Act, facilitate quicker disposal of cases, rationalize the qualifications and procedure of selection of the Presidents / Members of the Consumer Fora at the State level & Members at the National level. We hope to finalize the draft and introduce the Bill at the earliest.
I am happy to note that as a result of the amendments made in the Act and Rules and increase in the number of Members, the National Commission has been able to hold sitting in more number of Benches. The National Commission has also held sittings of its Circuit Benches at Hyderabad in January, 2005, in Bangalore in January, 2006, in Chennai in January, 2007, in Pune in January-February, 2008, in Cochin in March-April, 2009 and recently in Kolkata in January-February, 2010. More importantly, to ensure that the Consumer Fora function uninterruptedly, we have already amended the law to enable the Senior Most Member to act as the President, in the absence of the President.
I hope this provision is being invoked whenever the need arises. We have also advised the States to maintain a panel of members to fill up anticipated vacancies. Further, we have advised the States that where necessary, another Forum should be allowed to look after the work of a neighboring Forum till regular arrangements are made. I hope, the states are resorting to these alternative arrangements wherever required.
I may add that the needs of the National Commission are always on the priority agenda of the Government. The National Commission is expected to function from new premises in the near future. The building for the National Commission, being built at a cost of Rs.19.90 crores at INA Complex, New Delhi, is nearing completion and is expected to be completed during 2010-11. In so far as the State Commissions and District Fora are concerned, we have been taking up the matter with the State Governments from time to time for providing all the necessary infrastructure and manpower to the Fora so that the objectives of the Act are fulfilled. I would be happy to address specific inadequacies if brought to my notice in consultation with state government concerned.
I am also happy to inform you that through our persistent efforts, the Planning Commission and Ministry of Finance have provided adequate budgetary allocation for implementing important schemes for the Consumer Fora. A scheme for computerization and computer networking of Consumer Fora in the Country, (CONFONET), launched during the 10th Plan period in March, 2005 at a cost of Rs.48.64 crores, is being implemented by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) on a turnkey basis. So far, the NIC has supplied computer hardware and software to the National Commission, 34 State Commissions and 593 District Fora. Computer Hardware / Software installation has been completed at 565 Consumer Fora.
Extension of CONFONET scheme during 11th Plan with a total outlay of Rs.25.69 crores has been approved. In the extended scheme, stress is being laid upon continued HR support by means of Technical Support Personnel (TSP) and training for eventual adoption of the system by the Consumer Fora themselves.
Similarly, we have another scheme titled 'Strengthening Consumer Fora' where financial assistance is being extended to States / UTs to supplement their efforts in strengthening infrastructure of the Consumer Fora. Till date funds to the tune of Rs.161.50 crores have been released to States / UTs for strengthening the infrastructure of Consumer Fora so that minimum level of facilities are available at each Consumer Forum required for their effective functioning.
I would like to mention here that responses from many States have been good and they have been active in strengthening the consumer protection machinery. All the same, the National Commission may like to identify specific problem areas for appropriate remedy. I am confident that under the overall guidance of the National Commission, the State Commissions and the District Fora would function commendably to maintain the confidence of consumers.
The need of the hour is for every Presiding Officer of the Consumer Fora to take a pledge to dispose off the cases within the prescribed time norm. They have to find ways and means to achieve this goal. I also feel that in some cases the Members of the State Commissions and the Presiding Officers of the District Fora may need to undergo orientation programme since learning is a continuous process. What is needed to be kept in mind always is the primary objective of the Consumer Protection Act. That is to provide simple, inexpensive and quick resolution of consumer disputes without having to adhere to the somewhat lengthy civil court procedures. Unless the Consumer Fora function effectively, the consumer movement would hit a roadblock.
All of you would agree with me that in a country like ours, the success of the consumer movement would depend largely upon sustained consumer awareness to make consumers vigilant about their rights and responsibilities. The Department of Consumer Affairs has launched an intensive multi media publicity campaign with this objective. As a part of this drive, we are also supporting a "National Consumer Helpline", which is being operated through the University of Delhi. It has a toll free number 1800-11-4000, which allows a consumer to be suitably guided. From its inception, over 2.5 lakh calls have been received which shows its growing popularity. A scheme for setting up State Consumer Helpline has since been launched in the Eleventh Plan. Eventually, the State Consumer Helplines can be networked with the National Consumer Helpline.
On this important day, let us rededicate ourselves to work for the welfare of the consumers. Let us all resolve to make them aware of their rights and responsibilities as consumers. Let us all ensure that the goods and services are available free from hazards and exploitation. Let us jointly strengthen the institutional legal framwork for this purpose. Effective functioning of consumer dispute redressal machinery for rendering quick justice is a very important component in this framework. I am confident that it will continue to deliver excellent service to the consumers in the future also.
With these words, I would like to conclude with the hope that all your deliberations will focus towards finding solutions for the effective functioning of the Consumer Fora besides providing further impetus to the consumer movement in the country.
Jai Hind.
