Consumer Welfare Funds allotted to outside NGOs

| | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

The Odisha Consumer Welfare Fund was set up under the aegis of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare (FS and CW) Department to utilise the money to generate awareness among the consumers about their rights under the Consumer Protection Act through public meetings, rallies and cultural programmes.

But of late, it has come to the fore that the department authorities are releasing the funds violating The Orissa Consumer Welfare Fund Rules, 2007 and the order passed by the Orissa  High Court in this regard.

It might be mentioned here that. in pursuance to the order of the High Court passed in OMC No 673 of 1995 (PIL Case) Consumer Welfare Fund has been formed and Odisha Consumer Welfare Fund Rules, 2007 was made.

Sources said the FS and CW Department authorities are trying to release the consumer welfare fund to the persons and organisations outside Odisha ignoring the NGOs and VCOs in the State.

Sources said the department has engaged a New Delhi- based NGO as consultant to promote consumer awareness. To make matters worse it has sanctioned about Rs 3 lakh to the aforesaid NGO’s consultant for the purpose of air ticket, hotel bills, taxi bills violating the guidelines.

In the connection, a civil  society organisation All India Anti- Corruption Organisation’s State unit has written a letter to the FS and CW Department Secretary and  Director to use their good office not to release the welfare fund to the persons staying outside the State or organisations having no knowledge about the rural and urban consumers Odisha.

The All India Anti Corruption Organisation’s convenor advocate Subrat Kumar Nanda said if the department authorities doesn’t pay heed and continues to violate the rules and guidelines, they would have no option but to knock at the doors of the Orissa High Court to realise the sanctioned money.

Nanda further alleged that recently the department spent Rs 30 lakh from the consumer welfare fund for a meeting at a luxury hotel. Instead the money could have been well-spent had the department allotted the money to the 30 districts to create consumer awareness.