Face To Face With Ch Zulfkar / Protection of consumer rights is my prime motive: Ch Zulfkar

* It is the duty of my department to safeguard the interests of the consumers against malpractices adopted by unscrupulous traders.
* This was stated by Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Choudhary Zulfkar Ali, while interacting with the Young Bites.
Here are the excerpts of his exclusive interaction.
Vijay Gupta
VG: Despite your efforts, some traders are indulged in malpractices, why?
ZA: It is true that despite our efforts to streamline the entire process of food distribution, some traders are still indulged in malpractices. But I want to assure the people that it is our duty for ensuring strict enforcement of various laws and Acts of the department, so that rights of consumers should be protected at any cost.
VG: To end malpractices, what efforts have been done by your department?
ZA: To end the malpractices, a number of inspections carried out by the department in safeguarding the interests of the consumers against malpractices adopted by unscrupulous traders. Till date my department has conducted 21293 inspections and booked 3910 erring traders in Jammu division under prevailing laws and rules with realization of Rs. 54 lakh as penalty.
Besides, 163 awareness cum re-verification camps have been organized in various districts. On account of standardization, revenue to the tune of Rs. 1.27 crore has been collected against last financial year’s figure of Rs. 1.15 crore thus registering an increase of about 9.5 %. Meanwhile, I have asked my officers to redouble their efforts for further improving the functioning of the department so that consumers would be provided quality services.
VG: What you think, the reason behind continuous complaints about the irrational distribution of ration against the dealers?
ZA: I think it is only due to the lack of awareness among the consumers, due to which the traders are still indulged in black-marketing of ration. In this regard, I have asked the concerned officers to organize camps from July 1st to 7th in each district for creating awareness among the consumers regarding their rights and responsibilities as well.
VG: Despite government instruction, there are complaints about non-deliverance of LPG in Jammu region, why?
ZA: It is true that there are complaints about the non-deliverance of LPG by some dealers in Jammu region, but our officers are redressing those complaints accordingly.
I have asked officers to ensure 100 percent home delivery of LPG in urban and rural areas of Jammu province. I have also directed to create awareness through print and electronic media about gold testing machine (karatmeter) which was recently installed at Legal Metrology Department Narwal for convenience of the general masses. I have directed the officers to check the weights and measures used in commercial and industrial establishments to save the consumers from any fraud in this regard and conduct surprise inspection of petrol pumps, brick kiln and solvent units to detect any violation of the provisions of the Legal Metrology Laws.
It is my duty to improve consumer confidence in the system and create deterrence in the minds of the manufactures who indulge in unfair practices or pushing sub-standard products into the market.