Consumer activists seek statutory powers

CHENNAI: Educating and empowering the consumer on various risks they are exposed to while using various goods, was the main focus of a national-level seminar on consumer product safety being held in the city.

The seminar organised by the Department of Consumer Affairs, Confederation of Indian industry (CII), Consumer Association of India (CAI) and Centre for Consumer Education, Research, Teaching, Training and Testing (CONCERT) will also study the role of existing laws on consumer safety and the need to strongly enforce them for ensuring optimum consumer protection.

The government-industry-consumer organisation interface created by this seminar will offer recommendations for drafting a national Consumer Safety Authority (NCSA) Act.

The objective of the seminar would be to equip the network of consumer organisations with statutory powers instead of limiting their role to the level of giving suggestions to the government on issues of consumer protection.

Delivering a lecture on consumer safety and national policy, K Rajaraman, Additional commissioner of Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer protection said that a comprehensive national policy on consumer safety involving all departments relating to consumer welfare at the central and state level.

Arvind Shenoy, Director, CGSI, Mumbai spoke on the benefits and hazards of food additives and deliberated how additives added in the right quantity could contribute nutrition to the daily diet.