Ref. : ER/Press/2004/SVaghela.31/dG-Sam

Shanker Sinh Vaghela Visits CERC

The Hon’ble Union Minister for Textiles, Shri Shanker Sinhji Vaghela, visited Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC), Ahmedabad, on Saturday (10/7/04) and went round its three comparative testing laboratories for consumer products, i.e. food, pharmaceuticals and domestic electrical appliances. He was happy to see the testing facilities built up by CERC over the years and took keen interest in the products tested by it in terms of safety, durability, quality, quantity, labelling information, price, etc.

He inspected substandard and unsafe foreign goods tested at the laboratory such as Chinese compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), hair-dryers, etc. He regretted such widespread dumping of poor quality, unsafe goods in India and described it as a serious situation which needed to be tackled at the point of entry itself.

He encouraged CERC for its testing of such goods and the dissemination of the findings for consumer protection. He suggested that the organisation direct its efforts also to educating and informing agencies such as the Customs of its findings and thus preventing substandard goods from entering the country.

Referring to the widespread adulteration of petrol, Mr. Vaghela urged CERC to play a role by testing samples and disseminating the test findings to the benefit of consumers.

The Minister was appreciative of CERC’s work and called upon it to take the consumer protection movement to the masses on a larger scale. Since it is primarily a people’s movement, he said he had taken time off to visit the CERC.

He advised that the organisation’s bimonthly, INSIGHT — The Consumer Magazine, may be translated into Gujarati and other regional languages. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry should play an active role in ensuring that the information given out by CERC and INSIGHT is taken to more consumers all over the country, he observed.

Mr. Vaghela also appreciated the organisation’s campaign against misleading advertisements, especially through the ‘Tall Talk’ section of the magazine. He referred to unsubstantiated claims of a large number of advertisements on the TV such as toothpaste claims of ‘stronger and whiter teeth’. Referring to the ruling of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) against “Oxyrich Healthy Drinking Water with 300 per cent more oxygen”, Mr. Vaghela asked CERC to bring such cases to the notice of the Government and steps would be taken to ban them.

Earlier, on arrival at the CERC campus, Mr. Vaghela was received by Prof. Manubhai Shah, Chairman Emeritus, Trustees and the staff of CERC. After his round of the laboratories, the library and other sections, Mr. Vaghela inspired and encouraged the staff, complimenting them on their important work for the benefit of society.

Prof. Shah appraised Mr. Vaghela about how CERC could develop such facilities over the past 25 years and said that agencies such as the UNDP, USAID and many others had donated generously towards the making of the organisation. For its all-out support, Prof. Shah expressed his and the Centre’s gratitude to society.

Date : 12/07/2004
Place : Ahmedabad

Pritee Shah
Senior Director
CERC

Encl.: One photograph

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Photo caption : Mr. Shanker Sinh Vaghela, Union Minister for Textiles, going round the comparative testing laboratory for domestic electrical appliances on the CERC campus, Ahmedabad. Facing him is Prof. Manubhai Shah, Chairman Emeritus, CERC.

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CONSUMER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTRE
“Suraksha Sankool”, Thaltej, Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway, Ahmedabad- 380 054 (INDIA)
Phone: 079-27489945-46 Fax: 079-27489947
E-mail: cerc@wilnetonline.net
Web Site: http://www.cercindia.org
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