Awareness about Right to Public Service Act: State to hold fairs across district

In a major stride to create awareness among the common people about the Right to Public Service Act and the department’s active role in upholding such rights, the state Consumer Affairs department has decided to hold consumer fairs in different parts of the state.

“We have been holding fairs in Kolkata every year and we feel that the people here have more awareness than their district counterparts when it comes to knowledge regarding the Right to Public Service Act. So, for the first time in the history of the department, we are holding fairs in districts for the dissemination of knowledge regarding this Act,” Biplab Mitra, state Consumer Affairs minister said on the sidelines of flagging off a tableau for creating awareness among consumer rights on the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day.

“We have already held a fair recently at Gangarampur in South Dinajpur and will follow it up with similar initiative in Siliguri and at all other districts of North Bengal. After these fairs, we will also host similar fairs at Burdwan, Bankura, Purulia, Midnapore and also other South Bengal districts,” Mitra added.

The tableau will travel to different places in the city in the next 10 days. Similar initiatives have been taken at the district level too.

The minister added that his department is pulling up its socks for strict implementation of the Act and for this IPS Rina Mitra has been appointed as Chief Commissioner of the West Bengal Right to Public Service Commission.

Mitra said that 428 services of 29 departments of the state government have been notified under the Commission and deadlines for each of these services have been clearly stated.

If, a consumer comes with a complaint that such stipulated service has not been delivered to him / her within the stipulated period mentioned, the Commission’s responsibility is to ensure that he receives the same.

“We are developing a website where people can inform their grievances and accordingly we will take cognizance and action will be taken as per legal provisions,” Mitra added.

Roshni Sen, Principal Secretary of the department said that the theme for this year’s World Consumer Rights Day is ‘Helping Consumer Transit to Clean Energy Option’.