Lok Sabha Question No. 5106 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-27
Subject: Awareness about Schemes and Programmes
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN

## Government of India Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

## Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5106

TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.03.2018

## AWARENESS ABOUT SCHEMES AND PROGRAMMES

5106.  SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

## Will  the  Minister  of  CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  any  medium  of  publicity  to  create  awareness  about  various schemes and programmes being implemented by the Ministry;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the funds allocated for the 'Jago Grahak Jago' campaign during the last three years and the current year;
- (c) the manner in which the Government proposes to make the above campaign successful;
- (d) the steps being taken to increase the allocations under Jago Grahak Jago programme for its effective implementation; and
- (e) whether the number of cases with the consumer forums are pilling up year after year and if so, the reasons therefor and the corrective steps taken in the matter?

## ANSWER

miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h ¼Jh lh- vkj- pkS/kjh½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (d) : The Government carries out a multi-media 'Jago Grahak Jago' campaign on Pan India basis covering rural and urban areas through Print, electronic, outdoor, social media etc. Grants-in-aid are  also  released  to  States/UT  Governments  for  creating  consumer  awareness  in  their  regional languages. So as to further ensure that the campaign reaches rural and backward areas the Department has  been  participating  in  rural  fairs/  melas.  The  funds  allocated  for  Jago  Grahak  Jago  campaign during the last three years and the current year are indicated below:

|   S. No. | Year    |   Funds allocated (in Rs. crore |
|----------|---------|---------------------------------|
|        1 | 2014-15 |                           76.47 |
|        2 | 2015-16 |                           80    |
|        3 | 2016-17 |                           60    |
|        4 | 2017-18 |                           62    |

For  the  next  financial  year  2018-19,  the  allocation  of  funds  is  Rs.70.00  crores.  In  order  to optimize resources the Department carries out joint campaigns with other Departments on different thematic areas.

- (e)    :  The  number  of  cases  filed  and  disposed  of  by  the  three  tier  consumer  Fora  in  the  country  is given below:

| Sl.No.   | Name of Agency      |   Cases filed since inception |   Cases disposed of since inception |   Cases Pending | %of total Disposal   |
|----------|---------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-----------------|----------------------|
| 1        | National Commission |                        119092 |                              101581 |           17511 | 85.30%               |
| 2        | State Commissions   |                        780963 |                              669141 |          111822 | 85.68%               |
| 3        | District Forums     |                       4079070 |                             3772943 |          306127 | 92.50%               |
|          | TOTAL               |                       4979125 |                             4543665 |          435460 | 91.25%               |

The reason for pendency of cases in the Consumer Fora is mainly due to vacancy of President and  Members.    The  Central  Government  has  been  asking  the  State  Governments  to  take  advance action  for  filling  up  of  the  vacancies  so  that  no  Consumer  Forum  remains  non-functional  due  to vacancy  of  President  and  members.  In  addition,  various  steps  are  being  taken  by  the  National Commission  and  State  Commissions  for  speedy  disposal  of  consumer  cases,  such  as  holding  of Circuit Bench sittings, holding of Lok Adalats, conducting the sittings by the National Commission in summer vacation, constituting Single Member Benches and bunching of matters of similar nature by the National Commission for speedy disposal of cases.

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