Udupi March 15, 2010: Karnataka Home Minister Dr V S Acharya today said the state government would convene meetings, soon after the current assembly session, to discuss the issues of packaged edible oil, non-availability of certain branded goods and issues related to manufacturers and consumers.
Speaking after inaugurating the District level Word Consumer Day 2010, jointly organized by the District Administration, Department of Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Department of measurement, District Information department and District Consumer Information Centre and Udupi District Consumer Forum here, he said the meeting is expected to be held after March 19 in Bangalore in which representatives from Consumer Forum would also be invited to participate.
"There are many complaints that branded edible oil from India is being exported to Malaysia, where there is a great demand for Indian edible oil, resulting in the scarcity of the commodity in the Indian market," he said.
Stressing the need for the formation of Karnataka State Consumer Council, the Minister said, the Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies could not concentrate on the issue of consumer affairs, which falls under the Ministry, as another equally important issue of Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards was pending with them.
He said as per the 2001 census, there are 1.17 crore BPL families in 1.02 crore houses, out of which only 76 lakh have been issued BPL cards. But according to the Central Government assessment, only 28 per cent of them have been identified as BPL in the state, who are eligible for the benefit. Based on this assessment, the Centre was releasing rations to these identified families.
Photo/ News: Janardan Kodavoor/ Mangalorean
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