Consumer Affairs dept eyes digital awareness campaigns

Kolkata: The Consumer Affairs department has decided to focus on digital publicity to create awareness among consumers, shifting from its traditional method of putting up banners and hoardings for

the purpose.

“We were concentrating on hoardings, banners, flexes etc for creating awareness on consumer rights which is one of our main responsibilities. However, we realised our target audience doesn’t find much interest in going through the messages on hoardings. We have decided to shift to digital publicity. We are working on preparing short videos to deliver consumer awareness messages and will use electronic media for publicity,” said Biplab Mitra, Minister in Charge of Consumer

Affairs department.

The department officials did a study and realised that digital publicity through a private television channel in Metro stations across the city created a good impact in the minds of people concerning consumer rights.

It plans to opt for such digital publicity this year at a number of big-ticket community pujas in the city that are major crowd pullers. A department official said the same will also be executed in the Trade Fair held at Science City every

year in November.

The main functions of the department are carried out through the wings namely the Directorate of Consumer Affairs & Fair Business Practices, the Directorate of

Legal Metrology.

The department also monitors the functioning of State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) and District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC).

The state government introduced West Bengal Right to Public Services Act, 2013 to ensure disposal of essential notified services of public utility within stipulated time. The Consumer Affairs Department is the nodal department for implementation of the Act.