NEW DELHI: Stepping up its efforts towards consumer awareness, the Department of Consumer Affairs commissioned video spots of 30-second duration on various consumer related issues for telecast through Doordarshan and satellite channels during 2009.
In addition, special programmes were telecast on Lok Sabha TV to highlight the issues relating to consumer awareness. Issues pertaining to rural and remote areas have been given prominence in various advertisement spots.
Video spots produced in regional languages of North Eastern states on various consumer-related issues were telecast through Doordarshan Kendras of North Eastern states to ensure that the message reached out in the local language.
In an innovative move, the department printed messages on railway tickets as well as utility bills such as electricity bills and on railway reservation charts. This publicity was carried not only in Hindi and English languages but almost in all the regional languages so as to reach out to all consumers in their respective languages.
Around 30 major issues were taken up as part of the print advertisements and more than 12,000 insertions were given in the newspapers. Advertisements were released to more than 400 newspapers including national as well as regional dailies through DAVP.
The department in consultation with the Department of Posts has disseminated consumer awareness messages through Meghdoot Post cards to reach far-flung rural areas including North East States. Calendars displaying messages on the various issues relevant to consumers were displayed in the network of more than 1,55,000 post offices throughout the country. Similar initiatives were taken for displaying posters on consumer awareness in the network of more than 25,000 Post Offices in the urban areas.
Apart from the issues that are directly relevant to the role of the department such as ISI, Hallmark, labelling, MRP, weights and measures, a major initiative has been taken wherein issues that have come into focus on account of new emerging areas such as telecom, real estate, credit cards, financial products and pharmaceuticals have been taken through the print advertisement either through joint campaigns with these departments or after joint consultations with these departments.
Publicity was also mounted on various issues of consumer interests such as real estate, education, medicines, banking sector and telecommunications through the outdoor publicity mediums.
