Joint Collector M. Venugopal Reddy has called upon citizens to increase their awareness on security of digital transactions and safeguarding of information.
He released a special issue of ‘Janam’, a monthly magazine on consumer rights and consumer protection laws, on the occasion of World Consumer Day at the Collectorate, here on Tuesday.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Venugopal Reddy said that financial institutions should be prepared to adopt safeguards in view of the emerging challenges in the market. He said that women, especially those in the rural areas, were less aware of the digital financial transactions, compared to their male counterparts. He called upon consumer organisations to educate women in this regard through social media like WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger and YouTube.
District Civil Supply officials Rongali Siva Prasad, G. Suryaprakasa Rao, CEO of District Youth Services department P. Nageswara Rao, Nehru Yuva Kendra official G. Maheswara Rao, Consumer Organisations Federation State president and ‘Janam’ associate editor Kandregula Venkata Ramana, consumer rights activists Y. Ravishankar and B. Jagga Appa Rao participated.
At a separate programme organised at Mrs AVN College, District Supply Officer G. Suryaprakasa Rao said that online users would also come under the purview of Consumer Act. DSO (rural) R. Siva Prasad, College Principal Simhadri Naidu, Deputy Inspector of Schools K. Suvarna and Consumer Organisations Federation president Kandregula Venkata Ramana participated.
The Federation of District Consumer Organisations (FEDCO), an affiliate of the Confederation of AP Consumer Organisations(CAPCO), in association with the Department of Commerce and Management Studies(DCMS), Andhra University, organised a workshop on ‘Food Vigilance’.
CAPCO Chairman H. Lajipathi Rai said that the event was being organised to raise awareness on consumer rights, consumer protection and empowerment of consumers. The theme of International Consumer Rights Day 2022 was ‘Fair Digital Finance’.
AU Law College Principal M. Vijayalakshmi, DSO R. Siva Prasad, DCMS Head P. Viswanadh, Assistant Food Controller Nandaji, Deputy Controller of Legal Metrology B. Madhusudhan Reddy and DEO L. Chandrakala were among those who participated.
The president of Consumer Commission – 2, Visakhapatnam, G. Venkateshwari, explained the various provisions of the amended Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and called for proper understanding of the various salient features of the Act. She said that consumer organisations should apply them in the interest of aggrieved consumers through arbitration model before actually filing the complaint in the consumer court/Commission.
Andhra University Registrar V. Krishna Mohan advised consumer organisations to concentrate on checking of MRP, adulteration of food items like edible oil and certain items used in agriculture like pesticides, fertilizers and seeds in the interest of farmer consumers.
Consumer Commission members K. Ramababu, P. Vijay Durga , V. Krishna Murthy and Raheemunnisa Begum participated.
