Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Feb 23: Marking World Consumer Rights Day, the Goa Consumer Action Network (Goacan) will conduct a large-scale awareness campaign from February 22 to April 22 across Bardez, Mormugao, Salcete, Tiswadi and Ponda talukas under the theme “Safe Products, Confident Consumers”.

The initiative will educate residents about their rights and protections under key legislations, including the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, along with rules governing packaged commodities and weights and measures.

As part of the campaign, Goacan will roll out a special participatory programme titled “Spot the Deficiency, Identify the Official, Pursue the Remedy”. Volunteers from village consumer forums and campus consumer welfare clubs will actively engage in identifying service deficiencies and guiding consumers on grievance redressal procedures.

Campaign activities will include public awareness drives, submission of memoranda to government departments, participation in enforcement raids, attendance at official meetings, surprise inspections and customer outreach initiatives.

The organisation will particularly highlight consumer rights in essential public services such as post offices, banking, telecom (mobile and landline), LPG distribution, electricity supply, GST-related services, bus transport and sanitation facilities including public toilets.

The drive will also promote awareness about complaint mechanisms and redressal bodies, including consumer conciliation committees, district consumer disputes redressal commissions and the state consumer disputes redressal commission, encouraging citizens to confidently assert their rights.