Kohima, March 15 (MTNews): Along with the rest of the world, the Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organization (NVCO), Kohima Law College and Pro Bono Club jointly celebrated the “World Consumer Rights Day” with NVCO President Kezhokhoto Savi as main speaker under the global theme – ‘Clean Energy Transition’ on 15 March at college auditorium.
NVCO President Kezhokhoto Savi stated at the event that ‘Right to Public Services Legislation’ in India consists of statutory laws that guarantee time bound delivery of services for various public services rendered by the Government to citizens and provide a mechanism for punishing the errant public servant who is deficient in providing the service stipulated under the statute.
Savi went on to say that the legislation is intended to curb corruption among government officials while also increasing transparency and public accountability.
According to him, more than 14 states have already passed this law, with Madhya Pradesh becoming the first to do so in 2010.
“The common framework of the legislation in various states includes granting the right to public services, which are to be provided to the public by the designated official within the stipulated time frame,” he explained.
Some of the common public services which are to be provided within the fixed time frame as a right under the Act include issuing caste, birth, marriage, domicile certificates, electric connection, voter’s card, ration card, copies of land records, etc.
The day was celebrated grandly with several items, including an interesting skit presented by Nocklei M, Shahyong, and Yakap Shankai highlighting various traders’ conduct in exploiting consumers in the market while buying goods and availing services, including unfair means of practiced by meat sellers, particularly shortage in weight.
Muwali Sangtam, Wanjen, and Huluto, also made short presentations on various themes relating to consumer rights and emphasized on more right to public services where they said that since the present government is more or less an opposition-less government, we cannot expect any legislator to speak strongly against the motion.
One of the consumer rights is the ‘right to basic needs,’ and in the context of Nagaland, the basic needs faced by the public are bad roads, broken bridges, no water supply for the public, particularly in the state capital, where citizens must buy water all year, deficiency services such as electricity, etc., poor infrastructure/building of government schools, poor health services, etc.
The function was headed by David, the faculty member in charge of the Pro Bono Club, and it was attended by college administrators, teachers, and law students.
