about cuts international · about cuts international established in 1983-84 as a rural development...

About CUTS InternationalEstablished in 1983-84 as a rural development communications initiative, ConsumerUnity &Trust Society (CUTS) is now at the cutting edge of the consumer movementin India as well as across the globe and has expanded into trade and development,competition, investment and economic regulation and human development.Today,CUTS International, with a staff of over 100, operates out of:� Three programme centres in Jaipur (CUTS Centre for International Trade,Economics and Environment, CUTS Centre for Consumer Action, Researchand Training and CUTS Centre for Competition, Investment and EconomicRegulation), one in Chittorgarh (CUTS Centre for Human Development);

� An advocacy centre in NewDelhi, and a Centre in Calcutta (focusing on ConsumerSafety and Grassroots Economic Development), India; and

� Four resource centres in Lusaka, Zambia; Nairobi, Kenya; Hanoi,Vietnam, andGeneva, Switzerland.The organisation elects its Board/Executive Committee every fourth year, while

the Secretariat is headed by the Secretary General. Over 1200 individuals and 300organisations are its members.The organisation is accredited to the United NationsConference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United NationsCommissions for Sustainable Development (UNCSD).CUTS works with several other regional, national and international

organisations, such as: Consumer International (CI); International Centre for Tradeand Sustainable Development (ICTSD); South AsiaWatch on Trade, Economics andEnvironment (SAWTEE); World Trade Organisation (WTO); the World Bank;International Finance Corporation (IFC); Organisation for Economic Cooperationand Development (OECD); the Commonwealth Secretariat, East Africa CommunitySecretariat; various development cooperation and trade ministries all over theworld and, in India, various federal and state ministries and departments, NationalBank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD), the ConsumerCoordination Council of India, etc. It also serves on several policy-making bodies ofthe Government of India.CUTS International�s vision is �consumer sovereignty� and mission is �consumer

souverignty is in the framework of social justice and equality, within and acrossborders�. In all its work, it follows the method of research-based advocacy andconnects the grassroots with the international policy making processes.

CUTS CARTEstablished in 1996,CUTS Centre for ConsumerAction, Research &Training (CUTSCART) is a Programme Centre of CUTS.This programme centre was created as aresult of the diversification of CUTS in order to move ahead with its inheritedagenda consumer protection and education - and to create a more responsiblesociety. Continuous pioneering work in the area of consumer protection foundCART at the forefront of the consumer movement in India and beyond.

For more information please visit:www.cuts-international.org/CART/index.htm

Grassroots Reachout andNetworking inRajasthan throughConsumerAction

(GRANIRCA)

Consumer Weflare Fund (CWF)Department of Consumer AffairsMinistry of Consumer Affairs,Food & Public DistributionGovernment of India

lR;eso t;rs

With the support from

ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORTJanuary-March 2010

Published by

Consumer Unity &Trust Society (CUTS)D-217, Bhaskar Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur-302016, IndiaPh: +91.141.5133259, 2282821, Fx: +91.141.4015395

E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]:www.cuts-international.org/cart/GRANIRCA

Implementing OrganisationCUTS International

With the support from:

Sanction No. : O-11011/23/2007-CWF dated: 06/01/2010

Project Period: January 2010-December 2012

Reporting Period: January-March 2010

Project Area: 12 Districts of Rajasthan:Alwar, Banswara, Bundi, Chittorgarh,Churu, Dausa, Dholpur, Jalore, Jodhpur, Kota,Tonk and Sikar

© CUTS, 2010

Printed by:M.S. Printer, Jaipur

#1212

Grassroots Reachout and Networking inRajasthan through Consumer Action (GRANIRCA)

ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORTJanuary-March 2010

Consumer Weflare Fund (CWF)Department of Consumer AffairsMinistry of Consumer Affairs,Food & Public DistributionGovernment of India

lR;eso t;rs

Contents

Preface .......................................................................................................................... i

1. Project Overview .......................................................................1

2. Activities .....................................................................................3

2.1 Formation of Project Advisory-cum-Resource Group (PARG) ... 3

2.2 Formation of Grassroots Network .....................................................3

2.3 DedicatedWebpage ...............................................................................4

2.4 Project Launch-cum-Orientation ........................................................4

3. Additional Activities ..................................................................6

3.1 Complaint Handling, Information andAdvisory Services (CHIAS) ...................................................................6

4. TheWay Forward .......................................................................7

Annexure A: List of StateAdvisory Committee Members ............................8

Annexure B: List of District Partners ............................................................. 10

i

Consumer satisfaction is key in the present competitive marketeconomy. Taking clue from this aspect, Indian market is graduallybeing transformed from a predominantly sellers market to a buyersmarket, where exercised choice by the consumers depends ontheir level of awareness. Consumer rights could be protected in acompetitive economy only when right standards for goods andservices for which one makes payment are ensured by evolving anetwork of institutions and legal protection system.

To address this challenge and to generate amore capable consumerby way of equipping him with knowledge and skills and build upzealous grassroots� activists through intensive training, capacitybuilding and orientation programmes on consumer protectionissues to create an enabling environment at the grassroots, aMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between theMinistry of Consumer Affairs, Food, Public Distribution,Government of India and CUTS in Delhi on January 8, 2010, toestablish a partnership to support the project titled �GrassrootsReachout and Networking in Rajasthan through ConsumerAction� (GRANIRCA). Joint Secretary, Sanjay Singh, MinistryConsumer Affairs and George Cheriyan, Director, CUTS signedthe MoU in Delhi. G.N. Sreekumaran (Director (CWF), Dept. ofConsumer Affairs and Rakesh Kumar (Under Secretary, Dept. ofConsumer Affairs) were also present on the occasion.

The project is for a period of three years, i.e. January 2010 toDecember 2012 covering all seven divisions of Rajasthan,comprises 12 districts namely Tonk, Chittorgarh, Kota, Bundi,

Preface

Grassroots Reachout and Networking in Rajasthan through Consumer Action (GRANIRCA)

Grassroots Reachout and Networking in Rajasthan through Consumer Action (GRANIRCA)ii

Alwar, Banswara, Jodhpur, Jalore, Churu, Sikar, Dholpur andDausa.

The project is for a period of three years, i.e. January 2010 toDecember 2012 covering all seven divisions of Rajasthan,comprises 12 districts namely Tonk, Chittorgarh, Kota, Bundi,Alwar, Banswara, Jodhpur, Jalore, Churu, Sikar, Dholpur andDausa.This annual report of three months period is a product,designed to showcase the project progress in the first three monthsalong with outreach, observations, findings, assessments, andlessons learned on issues related to consumer protection from theperspective of the state of Rajasthan, as per the objectives andfinal outcomes envisaged in the project. This document can alsobe conceived as a �work in progress� to encourage the exchangeof ideas about issues of consumer protection.

I sincerely thank my colleagues � Deepak Saxena, Amarjeet Singh,Arjun Kant Jha and Dharmendra Chaturvedi for the successfulimplementation of the project activities during first three monthsand also for preparing this annual report, and acknowledge thevaluable guidance of Pradeep S Mehta, Secretary General, CUTS.We also gratefully acknowledge the guidance and support of themembers of the Project Advisory and Resource Group.

We also thank the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry ofConsumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government ofIndia for the funding support from the Consumer Welfare Fundand the Chairman and members of the Monitoring Committee ofthe Department of Consumer Affairs for valuable guidance andsuggestions.

We thank both print and electronic media for providing widecoverage to project launch.

We are grateful to 12 district partners for providing their supportduring project launch and that of concerned departments/consumerfora in respective districts.

We also acknowledge the contribution of Madhuri Vasnani inediting and that of Mukesh Tyagi and Rajkumar Trivedi in thelayout of the annual report. We express our sincere gratitude toall without whom the successful implementation of the projectwould not have been possible.

Jaipur George CheriyanSeptember 2010 Director, CUTS&

Head, CUTS CART

iiiGrassroots Reachout and Networking in Rajasthan through Consumer Action (GRANIRCA)

Grassroots Reachout and Networking in Rajasthan through Consumer Action (GRANIRCA) 1

Annual

ProgressReport

2010

1. Project Overview

Lack of consumers� access to adequate information, improperunderstanding of the redressal mechanism/procedure as well asother socio-economic vulnerabilities of consumers are the reasonsthat, despite unique and very progressive laws for consumerprotection, consumers are still struggling to get justice.

To address the problem, CUTS is partnering with the Departmentof Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food andPublic Distribution, Government of India, under the ConsumerWelfare Fund (CWF) to the implementation the project entitled,�Grassroots Reachout & Networking in Rajasthan throughConsumer Action� (GRANIRCA) in 12 districts of Rajasthan.The purpose of this project is to enhance strong consumermovement at the grassroots in seven divisions of the State byensuring an enabling environment for protecting consumerinterests, which will, in turn, contribute to national interest.

For more information, please visit:www.cuts-international.org/CART/GRANIRCA/index.htm

Though the project is being implemented in only 12 districts on apilot basis, but it intends to be a successful model for replicationand scale up in other districts or states in India and elsewhere.

ExpectedOutcomes� Empowerment: People will be assertive consumers to uphold

their rights and fight for justice;� Questioning Society: Civil society organisations (CSOs) will

act as �watchdogs�;

AnnualProgressReport2010

2 Grassroots Reachout and Networking in Rajasthan through Consumer Action (GRANIRCA)

� Improvement: Better service delivery and efficient redressalmechanism in place;

� Enabling Environment: Protecting consumer interests, whichwill ultimately create an enabling environment towardsprotecting the state interest;

� Good Governance: Contribute towards achieving theMillennium Development Goals (MDGs); and

� Replicable Model: Result in a model of empoweringconsumers, through networking, and thus offer a model forfurther expansion in the identified district and elsewhere.

Project Director

George Cheriyan,Director,CUTS

ProjectTeam

1. Deepak Saxena

2. Amarjeet Singh Panghal

3. Arjun Kant Jha

4. Dharmendra Chaturvedi


Annual

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2010

2. Activities

2.1 Formation of Project Advisory-cum-ResourceGroup (PARG)Project team contacted various categories of organisations,institutes and institutions, consumer activists, people from thejudiciary and the media and bureaucrats having experience indealing with consumer-related issues to be part of project advisorygroup. Even the local Department of Consumer Affairs wascontacted for the said purpose. Convinced by the project outcomeand output, eight people agreed to be part of the State Advisory-cum-Resource Group. Detailed information, is provided inAnnexure A on page no 8.

2.2 Formation of Grassroots NetworkPrior to partnering with the selected grassroots voluntaryorganisations of 12 districts, a capacity analysis survey wasconducted.

CUTS organised the first district partners meeting under theGRANIRCA project at CUTS Conference Hall, on February 24,2010. The objective of the meeting was to discuss the overallproject activities, strategies and sign the Memorandum ofAgreement (MoA). On behalf of the district partner organisations,their chief functionaries participated in the meeting and expressedtheir willingness to replicate the benefits in their respectivedistricts.



The GRANIRCA team provided a brief overview of the projectthrough a power point presentation. Budgetary provisions underthe project were also disclosed in the meeting and the process forapplying for honorarium and activity cost was discussed in detailwith district partners. The meeting concluded after signing ofMoAs. Detailed information about district partners is given inAnnexure B on page no 10.

2.3 DedicatedWebpageA dedicated webpage for the project was created and launchedby Rajiv Agarwal, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs,during the project launch meeting on March 17, 2010. Regularupdates regarding the project are being uploaded at the projectweb page: www.cuts-international.org/cart/GRANIRCA

2.4 Project Launch-cum-OrientationProgramme ObjectiveThe objectives of the launch meeting were to bring all thestakeholders working on consumer issues (comprising CSOs, linedepartments, the media, consumer activists and experts) on acommon platform tomake them aware of the GRANIRCA projectobjectives, activities, etc., ensure their active participation andsupport for the project and also discuss the emerging consumerissues in Rajasthan.


Annual

ProgressReport

2010

ParticipationThe meeting was attended by more than 80 stakeholders, includingofficials from the State Food Department, Members of DistrictConsumer Forums, Registrar, State Consumer Disputes RedressalCommission (SCDRC), representatives of CSOs, other linkdepartments, service sectors directly dealing with consumers suchas post office, telecom etc., district partners and mediarepresentatives. The meeting received wider media coverage (bothin print and electronic).

Several dignitaries graced the occasion such as Babu Lal Nagar,Minister for Food,Civil Supplies andConsumerAffairs ofRajasthan;Rajiv Agarwal, Secretary of Food, Public Distribution System andConsumer Affairs, Government of India; M.L. Mehta, President,CUTS and Former Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan(GoR); Justice S.K. Garg, President, State Consumer DisputesRedressal Commission, were key speakers, along with PradeepMehta, Secretary General, CUTS, and George Cheriyan Director,CUTS.

Technical Sessions for Partners� OrientationAfter the launch meeting, technical sessions were held to buildthe capacity of 24 representatives of district partner organisationson March 17-18, 2010. The resource persons involved duringthe sessions were: Justice Vinod Shankar Dave, Former President,Rajasthan State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission;Amarjeet Singh, CUTS CART; Deepak Saxena, CUTS CART;Rajesh Jain, Advocate; and Haneef Mohd., Former President,District Consumer Redressal Forum, Jaipur II.



3.Additional Activities

3.1 Complaint Handling, Information and AdvisoryServices (CHIAS)Over a decade, Complaint Handling Information and AdvisoryService (CHIAS) Cell has been an inherent and vibrant activity ofCUTS, which CHIAS has been activated and incorporated as anactivity under the (GRANIRCA) project in 12 districts ofRajasthan to enhance strong consumer movement at thegrassroots in the state by ensuring an enabling environment forprotecting consumer interests, which will, in turn, contribute tonational interest.


Annual

ProgressReport

2010

4.TheWay Forward

In order to ensure that the knowledge and experience gained bythe project partners is developed further outside the project inthe projected district, efforts are being made by CUTS toencourage partner organisations to come up with �implementable�project ideas on specific consumer issues. CUTS would assist thepartner organisations in developing these project ideas furtherand identify development partners who might be interested insupporting such initiatives.

CHIAS initiative of CUTS was incorporated as a activity underthe project in 12 districts of Rajasthan to enhance strong consumermovement at the grassroots in the State by ensuring an enablingenvironment for protecting consumer�s interests, which will, inturn, would contribute towards the national interest. The initiativegained overwhelming responses. Thus, the model will be replicatedin other districts of the state. At the same time efforts will bemade foe continuity of existing CHIAS.



Annexure A

List of StateAdvisory Committee Members

S. No.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Name&Address

Justice V.S. Dave, (Retd.)A-102, Dave ApartmentsC/22, Sawai Jai SinghHighway, Bani Park,Jaipur � 302 016

P.N. Bhandari (Retd. IAS)Ex-Chairman - RSEB307, Ganpati PlazaM.I. Road, Jaipur

Sunny SebastianSpecial Correspondent�The Hindu�33-A, Dhuleshwar GardenSardar Patel Marg, C-Scheme, Jaipur

Justice N.N. MathurVice-ChancellorNational Law UniversityNH-65, Nagaur Road,MandoreJodhpur � 342001 Rajasthan

Contact

Mobile: 9829014993Phone: 220 2643Fax: 0141-2202619E-mail:[email protected]

Phone:5115556,2363587(O)2552311, 2552350 (R)Mobile: 93511 52311Fax: 0141-2389351E-mail:[email protected]

Phone: 2377704 (R)Fax: 2375979Mobile: 9829067181E-mail:[email protected]@dataone.in

Phone: 0291-2577530,2577526, 5121594, 5121702Fax - 0291-2577540E-mail: [email protected]:www.nlujodhpur.ac.in

Contd...


Annual

ProgressReport

2010

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Mridula SrivastavaPrincipal, Law CollegeUniversity of RajasthanC-364, Malviya Nagar,Jaipur

Vimal JainChief Sub-EditorRajasthan PatrikaA- 350, Kothari MargMalviya Nagar, Jaipur

Shirish V. DeshpandeChairpersonMumbai Grahak PanchayatGrahak Bhawan, SantDnyaneshwarMarg(Behind Cooper Hospital),JVPD SchemeJuhu Ville Parle (West),Mumbai � 400 056

Pragya Paliwal GaurDirector, NewsDoordarshan99, Mohan Nagar, GopalpuraBypass, Jaipur

George Cheriyan,DirectorConsumer Unity&TrustSociety (CUTS)Jaipur

Phone: 141-2522221Mobile: 9829068389Email: [email protected]

Phone:141-39404142/2520088Fax: 141-2709331Email:[email protected].: 98290 62789

Phone:2226288624/1832/39Fax: 22 2625 0916Email:[email protected]@hotmail.com

Phone: 2705880 (O),2762727 (R) Fax: 2711490Mobile: 9414051285E-mail:[email protected]

Phone: 91-141-2282062,2282821Fax: 91-141-4015395Email: [email protected];[email protected]: www.cuts-international.org

S. No. Name&Address Contact



Annexure B

List of District Partners

S. No.

1.

2.

3.

4.

District

Banswara

Chittorgarh

Bundi

Kota

DistrictPartner

Vagad VikasSansthan3/16, Ratti Talai,Banswara �327 001

CUTS Centre forHumanDevelopment(CUTS CHD)Rawla, Senthi,Chittorgarh -312 025

Richmonds� KalaSahitya andShikshan SocietyTilak Chowk,Old Post OfficeStreet, Bundi -323 001

Oxford ShikshanPrashikshanVikas SansthanHouse ofMunshi Mohd.

NodalPerson

NemrajShehlot

AshishTripathi

RajeevSaxena

AnwarAhmedKhan

ContactNo.

Phone: 02962-244781Mobile: 9414103139/9887144675Fax: 02962-244781Email: [email protected];[email protected]

Phone: 01472-241472Fax: 01472-247715Mobile: 9829285938,0983167608E-mail: [email protected];[email protected]

Phone: 0747-2444124Mobile: 9461332814Email:[email protected]

Phone: 0744-2501712Mobile: 93514 99789/9314629282Email:[email protected]

Contd...


Annual

ProgressReport

2010

S. No. District DistrictPartner

NodalPerson

ContactNo.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Phone: 291-2227907Mobile: 94132 49745Email:[email protected];[email protected]

Phone: 02978-222312 (R)222147, Fax: 222966Mobile: 9414534193Email: [email protected]


Phone: 0143-2687730Mobile: 9829347200/9214167972Email:[email protected]

TejveerChoudhary

MahendraKumarOjha

PradeepPoonia

Gopal LalSaini

Yasin, HiranBazar, ChandraGhata 50,Kota � 324 006

Native Instituteof DesertAwareness andKnowledgeSociety (NIDAN)9B/2, Opp.BishnoiDharmashala,Near MangalTower,RatanadaJodhpur �342 011

�SANKALP�SansthanHospital RoadP. - Ahore,Jalore � 307 029

Manav PragatiSansthanUsmanabadColonyBehind New BusStand, Churu �331 001

MMM SikshanEvam Jan SevaSansthanKhoja Bawari,Near Police Line,Tonk � 304 001

Jodhpur

Jalore

Churu

Tonk

Contd...



S. No. District DistrictPartner

NodalPerson

ContactNo.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Dholpur

Alwar

Dausa

Sikar

Samajik VikasSamitiVP- Attarsuma(Baseri)Distt. Dholpur �328 022

ShubhamMahilaPrashikshanSansthanAateWali GaliAlwar- 301 001

K.B. SocialWelfare SocietyNidhivanColony, NearShyam Mandir,Nai MandiRoad, Dausa �303 303

Jila UpbhoktaJagaran SamitiH. No. 548,Sector 10Anand Nagar,Sikar � 332 001

RakeshKumarParmar

Sushila Devi

KamleshKumarBohra

SatyaNarainSikhwal

Phone: 05646-272012 (O)Fax: 05646-266263Mobile: 9784016835/9460646335Email:[email protected]

Mobile: 09352606266(Sushilaji)09783376432 (Vikas)Email: [email protected]




Annual

ProgressReport

2010

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