Consumer protection activists have made a forceful plea to the authorities to include the burning issue of sanitation and waste management, besides tourism-related activities under the South Goa district Consumer Protection Council.
The first meeting of the South Goa Consumer Protection Council took place at the district Collectorate South under the Chairmanship of District Collector Asvin Chandru, IAS on Tuesday morning.
The meeting evoked a good response both from the heads of respective departments as well as members of the consumer rights organizations in Salcete and South Goa.
The meeting took stock of various issues including the amendment brought to the Consumer Protection Act, the FDA, Legal Metrology and the Bureau of Standards Act.
Heads of departments gave PowerPoint presentations to the participants relating to issues of consumer protection.
A legal metrology official pointed out that it is mandatory for the LPG cylinder van to carry the weighing scale to check the weight of the cylinder when demanded by the consumer.
GOACAN Coordinator Roland Martins said the consumer rights activists demanded with the district Collector to include issues such as sanitation and waste management and tourism at the Council meeting.
“As we observe World Malaria Day, it is incumbent on the authorities to impart proper and good training to the consumers to combat vector-borne diseases. We have come across instances where the labour contractors are not registered with the authorities, but they are still supplying the workers. They do not obtain the health cards for the workers,” he said.
He added: “Issues such as waste management and sanitation are now big problems, there are instances of the STPs not functioning, the septic tanks are overflowing, but no action is forthcoming. We stressed the need to include these issues at the district Council meeting so that officials of the Department of Environment and Goa Waste Management Corporation attend the council meetings.”
Martins further underscored the need to bring the Tourism department under the district Consumer Council since Goa is a tourist destination where lakhs of tourists arrive.
“The tourists are basically consumers and they should get the mechanism to lodge their complaints where they are being cheated by selling duplicate cashew nuts and drinking water," he said.
Expressing satisfaction that the South Goa district Collector, Asvin Chandru, IAS has personally chaired the first district Consumer Protection Council meeting, Martins said this would go a long way in taking the consumer movement to the logical conclusion.
“We believe in a joint effort and coordination and not confrontation. We are looking forward to continuous support from the district administration to achieve the objective of the Consumer Protection Act," he added.
