The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : 800 more schools may have consumer clubs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 04, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

800 more schools may have consumer clubs

Bageshree S.

650 clubs are functioning in Karnataka

The scheme is funded by the Union Government
Each school gets a grant of Rs. 10,000

Bangalore: Children are constantly exposed to consumer products, thanks to the ever-expanding market and a virtual flood of advertisements on the mass media.

While there seems to be no mechanism to control the market or the children’s exposure to it, the Department of Consumer Affairs in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution launched a scheme to start consumer clubs in high schools to create awareness on consumer rights.

About 650 clubs in 16 districts are functioning since mid-2007 in Karnataka under this Centrally-funded scheme, with a grant of Rs. 10,000 to each school. If a proposal now sent to the Ministry from the Department of Food and Civil Supplies is approved, 800 more schools across Karnataka will have consumer clubs, covering all the districts.

Joint Director of the department B. Ramesh told The Hindu that priority had been given to districts that did not have consumer clubs now while drawing up the new list. He said that a grant of Rs. 65 lakh had been released by the Centre for existing clubs so far and it had been disbursed.

“School consumer clubs get grants only for two years under the Central scheme. The State Education Department and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department may have to support them once this scheme is over,” said Mr. Ramesh.

The Central Ministry’s stated aim was to finally make the club self-sustaining. They were to make efforts to raise funds on their own.

Members of consumer clubs in schools had been educated on various laws connected to consumer rights, including Consumer Protection Act, Right to Information Act, Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, Essential Commodities Act and so on.

They had also been educated on expiry dates on products, what one should do when a shop-keeper sold a product at a price above the maximum retail price (MRP), how one can approach a consumer court and so on. They were to hold debates and public awareness drives regularly.

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