At a programme held to mark the National Consumers Day, the need for consumers to be aware of their duties and rights was stressed. With the National Consumers Day falling on December 24, prizes were given on Friday to students who won in essay, poetry, and drawing competitions organised in line with the day.
Collector R. Nanthagopal stressed the need for consumers to get bills/receipts for any product purchased. People can complain to consumer forums if products are not sold as per rules including without information on place of manufacture.
People can also complain of adulterated products. The Consumer Protection Act helps in preventing adulteration of products, sale at lesser weight and protects quality of products.
The duties of the consumer include being aware and involved, avoidance of more consumption than needed, lodging complaints about faulty manufacturers and traders, proper utilisation of products and services, being responsible about environment and taking joint efforts, a press release stated.
The five rules that consumers should follow – reduce high utilisation than required, refuse poor quality products, reuse, recycle and rethink – were also reinforced. The district consumer grievance redressal forum had easy ways to put forward cases, enables the petitioner to argue the case without the necessity of lawyers and facilitates lodging of complaints through registered posts.
Demonstration of quality testing of food items to identify adulteration was also conducted, the release added.
