‘Awareness is the key to consumer protection’
Lalita Kulkarni, trustee of Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP) has been at the forefront of creating considerable awareness about consumer protection rights in the city. She spoke to Nadeem Inamdar on the sidelines of Grahak Panchayat peth at Kesariwada.
What are the aims and objectives of MGP?
The main objective of grahak panchat is to enrich the quality of life of the consumers through mechanisms of sustainable consumption. We are dedicated in our task to educate consumers, to create awareness and also to empower them to fight against injustice and avoid getting cheated. We also provide a platform where consumers can organise for a common cause and fight against injustice to protect their interests. We believe in the mission of ‘Grahak Hitay, Grahak Sukhay’- which means to work in the interest and happiness of consumers.
Can you tell us something about your unique distribution system for families?
The system ensures that a cluster of a minimum of 11 families is attached, where orders for goods and grocery is placed. A list containing details of over 90 different types of items is distributed and orders are placed for the same. We buy directly from the wholesalers and goods are brought to the house of any of the one of the cluster families. Consumers, especially children, enjoy a great deal in distributing the goods to other families. It established a bond of strong connect and also provides the families with goods at a very reasonable cost from the market. The goods distribution system established by MGP is one of its kind, unique and functional, with ascending order for the last three and more decades without a single failure. Initially it started with just 25 families, but has now grown to 35,000 families in Mumbai-Thane-Raigad, Pune-Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. Even international consumers have lauded our distribution system as a unique model for other developing countries and also a role model for promoting sustainable consumption.
What are your future plans?
Our plan is to constantly update the citizens on consumer protection rights from time to time. Our mission is to make consumers empowered by informing them about their legal protection rights and to help them establish their sovereignty. We believe that awareness is the key to consumer protection and we urge the consumer to be more vigilant before they go shopping.