Know your consumer rights

Kasturba Gandhi College for Women launched a consumer club for students at West Marredpally on October 29, to learn the rights of a consumer and mobilise the youth by making them aware of the rights of a consumer and instilling a feeling of security. The event was an initiative to strengthen the consumer movement in the state and in the country at large. C Partha Sarathi IAS, commissioner of Civil Supplies, Suma Kanakala, an anchor and a popular face in the television industry, V Anil Kumar IAS, MD of Telangana Sate Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd were present at the event.

The chief guest, C Partha Sarathi, IAS said, “The departments of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution extend their support by non-formal pro- active system of imparting consumer education to the high school and college students by involving them in various consumer welfare and protection activities, initiated scheme on setting up of' ‘consumer clubs' on the pattern of 'eco-clubs’. There will be real democracy where the rights of consumers are protected. Government of India is making available a sum of Rs 10,000 to each consumer club. The consumer clubs should aim for four things they are creating Awareness, Knowledge, Protection of Rights and Compensation (AKPC).They must function to provide Consumer Education and strengthen the Consumer Movement (CECM) in India”.

Dr A Anitha Reddy, the principal said, “We are proud to be the first college in the city to have a Consumer Club. I am certain our college students will make the best use of the Club. They will work to create more awareness in protecting the rights of a consumer by spreading awareness in the society through various channels.”

An elocution competition on consumer awareness was held for the students at the college. MSN Reddy State Liaison Officer NSS, N Ganeshan a consumer activist, Kasturiba Gandhi Women's College lecturers and more than 1000 students witnessed the event.