Ranchi, Jan. 21: Jharkhand minister for food and consumer affairs, Saryu Rai on Thursday said consumer movement in the state should have been stronger than it is at present.
Addressing during a state-level workshop organized by the consumer department at Sri Krishna Administrative Training Institute in Ranchi on Thursday, Rai said, “State government every year awards persons and organization every year working in the field of consumer awareness and protection but when needed we are unable to find any person or organization also after giving advertisements.”
According to the minister, this was the reason that instead giving awards in three categories it was given only in one category.
Rai further states that the concerned department doesn’t reach the people employed in organizations the field of consumer movement, while people and NGO’s don’t have any interest.
The BJP MLA from Jamshedpur West said, “We were not conscious about consumer protection and have demanded report on the pending promises in the district consumer forum from the department. In several states there are separate departments for consumer cases and a directorate needs to be set up in Jharkhand for consumer cases which would only after the protection cases.”
Earlier, R K Merthiya, president of State Consumer Forum, highlighted the lack of workforce and infrastructure in the state and district consumer forum.
He stressed on the need for an appointment of a registrar. Responding to this, Rai said that the state government has taken the matter into consideration and things will be kept on a priority level in the upcoming budget these.