Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Distribution of renewed ration cards to begin soon

Staff Reporter

Work to commence by last week of June; printing of cards nearing completion

TIRUCHI: Distribution of renewed family cards will commence by the last week of June, the Principal Secretary to the Government, Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, S. Ramakrishnan, said.

Speaking at the two-day State conference of the Federation of Consumer Organisations, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry (FEDCOT), here today, he said that the work of printing 1.56-crore ration cards for renewal by the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT) was nearing completion.

He said the Tamil Nadu State Consumer Forum, functioning on the campus of the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board in Chennai, will have its own building at an outlay of Rs.1.25 crores. He said the building would be constructed from out of the Centrally-sponsored Infrastructure Development Fund.

Three sites had been identified and construction of the building would commence shortly.

Mr. Ramakrishnan said the State Government was working out the modalities for creating the State Consumer Welfare Fund, to be utilised for providing infrastructure facilities for the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forums.

On bogus cards, he said that it was a menace all over the country and according to an estimate, about 22 crore ration cards had been issued against the actual eligible families of 18 crores.

The only silver lining was that Tamil Nadu, according to a national survey, stood first in ensuring efficient public distribution system.

The State Government had made a plea with the Centre to increase the monthly quota of kerosene.

Against the monthly requirement of one lakh kilo litres, the State got 67,000 kilo litres, he said.

To make consumer awareness a mass movement, `Consumer Clubs' had been formed in about 100 schools and colleges all over the State so far and more clubs would be formed.

The Under Secretary to the Union Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs, G. N. Sreekumaran, said it had been planned to computerise and inter-link the National Commission, 35 State Commissions and 582 District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forums.

He said the Central Government had directed the State governments and Union Territories to create the State Consumer Welfare Fund for effective utilisation of Central funds.

In earlier cases, the funds had not been fully utilised.

He said literacy percentage of a state was the deciding factor for consumer awareness while efficient implementation of consumer rights laws would bring about good governance.

There was a high degree of consumer awareness in southern states, Gujarat and New Delhi but states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar lagged far behind.

The Chairman of the conference, P.Duraisingam, and secretary, M. Nizamuddin, spoke.

Mr. Ramakrishnan released a souvenir and S.Sothi Rachagan, Regional Director, CI-ROAP, Kualalumpur, received the first copy.

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