Badrul Ahsan :
Acute shortage of manpower and insufficient logistic support have been hindering market monitoring activities by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP), officials said.
The government formed the DNCRP for regular monitoring of markets to curb food adulteration and weight manipulation by unscrupulous traders.
At present, only two teams of DNCRP carry out market monitoring drives in the capital five days in a week (except Friday and Saturday), making it difficult for the teams to monitor the whole city markets.
“Our manpower is limited, other logistics also limited. So, it’s not possible for us to conduct monitoring drives fully,” Director General of DNCRP Md Shafiqul Islam Laskar said.
However, the DNCRP chief expressed the hope that the directorate has proposed the government to increase manpower and boost logistic support which is under process of approval.
“We will monitor kitchen markets throughout the year. We are considering increasing the number of monitoring teams to four from the existing two,” he said.
“Regular market monitoring is a very effective way to save the consumers from cheating by the dishonest traders. But we have very limited resources to run activities,” another high official of DNCRP said preferring anonymity.
“It is necessary to run drives round the year, but we get especial supports in a limited scale from the government only in the month of Ramzan,” he added.
“Once we are equipped, then it will be possible to curb malpractices by the traders significantly and thus it would be possible to save the consumers from different types of sufferings.”
During Ramzan, the DNCRP conducted market monitoring drive in a handful of markets in the capital due to the shortage of manpower and logistics such as vehicles and members of law enforcement agencies.
The National Consumers Rights Protection Act-2009 had paved the way for the formation of DNCRP with the objective of protecting the consumers’ rights.
Since the inception of the directorate, it has conducted raids against the profit-monger traders at different markets and shops with a limited number of manpower.
The DNCRP started operations in 2010. The government agency imposes fines on unscrupulous traders, who mix chemicals with food, sell products in an unhygienic condition and manipulate weight and violate consumers’ rights.
Under the law, consumers will be protected from making windfall profits by cheating consumers either through weight manipulation, food adulteration or selling those beyond their expiry dates.
A high official of the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) told The New Nation that manpower crisis of DNCRP will be resolved soon as some formalities for fresh appointment have been completed.
The DNCRP has taken an initiative to make consumers aware about their rights to help them encourage lodging complaints in case of violation of their rights by the unscrupulous traders.
The officials of DNCRP have been maintaining monitoring drive at different markets and commercial areas in the city and in other towns with the help of the law enforcement agencies.
Under the existing law, a consumer may get 25 per cent of fined money realised from the traders if he or she wins the case lodged with the DNCRP against the traders found involved in unlawful practice.
Acute shortage of manpower and insufficient logistic support have been hindering market monitoring activities by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP), officials said.
The government formed the DNCRP for regular monitoring of markets to curb food adulteration and weight manipulation by unscrupulous traders.
At present, only two teams of DNCRP carry out market monitoring drives in the capital five days in a week (except Friday and Saturday), making it difficult for the teams to monitor the whole city markets.
“Our manpower is limited, other logistics also limited. So, it’s not possible for us to conduct monitoring drives fully,” Director General of DNCRP Md Shafiqul Islam Laskar said.
However, the DNCRP chief expressed the hope that the directorate has proposed the government to increase manpower and boost logistic support which is under process of approval.
“We will monitor kitchen markets throughout the year. We are considering increasing the number of monitoring teams to four from the existing two,” he said.
“Regular market monitoring is a very effective way to save the consumers from cheating by the dishonest traders. But we have very limited resources to run activities,” another high official of DNCRP said preferring anonymity.
“It is necessary to run drives round the year, but we get especial supports in a limited scale from the government only in the month of Ramzan,” he added.
“Once we are equipped, then it will be possible to curb malpractices by the traders significantly and thus it would be possible to save the consumers from different types of sufferings.”
During Ramzan, the DNCRP conducted market monitoring drive in a handful of markets in the capital due to the shortage of manpower and logistics such as vehicles and members of law enforcement agencies.
The National Consumers Rights Protection Act-2009 had paved the way for the formation of DNCRP with the objective of protecting the consumers’ rights.
Since the inception of the directorate, it has conducted raids against the profit-monger traders at different markets and shops with a limited number of manpower.
The DNCRP started operations in 2010. The government agency imposes fines on unscrupulous traders, who mix chemicals with food, sell products in an unhygienic condition and manipulate weight and violate consumers’ rights.
Under the law, consumers will be protected from making windfall profits by cheating consumers either through weight manipulation, food adulteration or selling those beyond their expiry dates.
A high official of the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) told The New Nation that manpower crisis of DNCRP will be resolved soon as some formalities for fresh appointment have been completed.
The DNCRP has taken an initiative to make consumers aware about their rights to help them encourage lodging complaints in case of violation of their rights by the unscrupulous traders.
The officials of DNCRP have been maintaining monitoring drive at different markets and commercial areas in the city and in other towns with the help of the law enforcement agencies.
Under the existing law, a consumer may get 25 per cent of fined money realised from the traders if he or she wins the case lodged with the DNCRP against the traders found involved in unlawful practice.
