Special Correspondent
Students will be provided education on consumer rights
‘Such clubs will help in the cause of consumer movement’
Government has sanctioned 148 such clubs
for Mysore
MYSORE: Consumer movement in the city got a new thrust and a fillip following the launch of consumer clubs in 20 schools here on Saturday.
The Government is contemplating such clubs in all high schools of the district to spread greater consumer awareness by making students aware of consumer education and rights.
An initiative of the Mysore District Federation of Consumers’ Organisations, each club will have a minimum of 50 students who will be imparted lessons in various aspects of consumer rights and education. Chandrashekaraiah, president of Karnataka State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Bangalore, inaugurated the consumer clubs which is funded by the Department of Consumer Affairs of the State Government. The federation is the nodal agency for the city and the district for implementing the project.
Mr. Chandrashekaraiah said such clubs would help in the cause of consumer movement. The best way to reach out to society was through students who would discuss and spread the message among their family members, friends and others with whom they interact.
P.N. Srinivasachari, State Commissioner for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, said the Government had sanctioned 148 consumer clubs for Mysore and this would be expanded to 500 schools so as to reach out to at least 25,000 students in due course. A greater awareness of consumer issues would only give strength to the Consumer Protection Act and benefit the public, he added.
S.P. Thirumala Rao, member, Karnataka State Consumer Protection Council, Mysore, said the federation had taken the initiative to launch such clubs in Mysore and a few of them were functioning since the last few years. But it was only now that it was taking it up in a big way following the Government’s decision to recognise it as the nodal agency for Mysore and release funds for it.
He said the federation had brought out a book on consumer rights and members of the consumer club in high schools would be given education on consumer rights, Consumer Protection Act, Right to Information Act, Karnataka Electricity Act and Regulations among others.
The consumer rights education is reckoned to be timely in view of the growing influence of commercials on individuals and hence the imperatives of realising their rights.
The federation will identify and train teachers in each of the school for which a consumer club has been sanctioned and they in turn will act as resource persons for students.