Kohima, March 13 (MTNews): In course of the Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organization (NVCO) two-week long observation of World Consumer Rights Day, NVCO President Kezhokhoto Savi stressed on the importance of observation of the day for which the global theme of 2023 is “Clean Energy Transition.”
World Consumer Rights Day, celebrated on March 15 every year, is a global event that aims to raise awareness about consumer rights and needs.
“Consumer rights mean that every person who buys various products, goods, and services, has the right to have information on the quality, purity, price, and standard of those products,” Savi said.
Stating that most people are not aware of their rights as consumers, Savi highlighted that people have the right to file a complaint from anywhere, anytime as consumers and informed that in Nagaland, before approaching District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission or State Commission, one can call up Nagaland Consumer Helpline through Toll Free No. 1800 – 345 – 3701 and seek help or guidance as to how to solve one’s consumer grievances.
“Most people are not aware of their rights as consumers, so by celebrating this day, we make others aware of the right to demand protection and stay safe from fraudulent activities in the marketplace,” he said.
He further added that the day is celebrated to help all global consumers realize their rights and speak against market injustice.
“Global consumers suffer from inadequate products, unfair terms of sale and poor after-sales service. Therefore, this day is celebrated to protest against these unfair practices and to demand better consumer treatment and service,” he said.
The first World Consumer Rights day was celebrated in 1963 and since then, it has grown in popularity and is celebrated every year with a specific theme.
According to him, one of the most interesting themes was ‘Tackling Plastic Pollution’ which aimed to raise awareness of sustainable consumption and practices focusing on the manufacturing and usage of plastics and their impact on the environment.
“Knowing our rights as consumers is crucial because we can only identify whether we are getting fooled or cheated if we know our consumer rights. Most importantly, we can raise our voices and take legal action against any product or service purchase that goes against our rights,” he said.
Kezhokhoto Savi in his special message to the citizens/consumers of the state said, “If all the people in Nagaland act together and raise awareness about consumer rights, our society as well as government agencies will change for the better when it comes to consumer rights”.
