Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali today called on Union Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan and briefed him about the activities of the department besides discussing issues for further streamlining consumer services in the state. The Minister who was here to attend the National Consumer Day (NCD) celebrated at Vigyan Bhawan with the theme of “Alternative Consumer Dispute Resolution”, urged the Union Minister to pay special attention to meet the food demands of Jammu & Kashmir and continue adequate supply of wheat to the state.The event was inaugurated by Union Ministry for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. Besides Paswan, Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution C R Chaudhary, State Ministers, Justice D K Jain, President, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), Members of Parliament and Secretaries in-charge of Consumer Affairs in States, Officers of the Central Government besides representatives from Industry and Voluntary Consumer Organisations were present.
Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali, accompanied by Secretary Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department Shafiq Ahmed Raina, represented Jammu and Kashmir state at the national event.Discussions were held on this years’ theme “Alternative Dispute Resolution” wherein speakers put fourth suggestions regarding adulteration, misleading advertisements, role of industry in discouraging misleading advertisements, toll free numbers, strengthening of state and district consumer forums and amendments in various acts.During the debate, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali discussed various issues with the national experts on the consumer affairs and pressed upon the centre for strengthening the state and district consumer forums. The Minister said that maximum of the cases of violation of Consumer Protection Act are being received from districts and these forums must be given more teeth so as to deal with the defaulters effectively.The Minister also invited Union Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution to the state for holding National Consultative meeting of Food Ministers of various States in Jammu & Kashmir.