MARGAO
On State Consumer Rights Day celebrated at the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao on Monday, Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) Director Jyoti Sardesai asserted that consumer is king, but maintained a stoic silence on the long-pending demand of consumers from South Goa for the early commissioning of the FDA South Goa office.
The FDA director spoke at length on the Food Safety Index award won by the State for the fourth successive year, but did not shed light on the delay in commissioning of the FDA office at the old South Goa Collectorate building, furnished and ready for commissioning since the last three years.
Consumer rights activist and GOACAN coordinator Roland Martins referred to the delay in opening the South Goa FDA office when the district has as many as seven talukas, but it did not spur the FDA director to comment on the South office.
When the media later asked the director to shed light on the FDA South office, she quietly left the venue into her waiting vehicle.
Secretary, Civil Supplies, Sanjit Rodrigues, who presided over the programme, complimented the FDA director for getting the Food Safety Index award for the fourth successive year but preferred not to touch on the issue from the platform. He, however, is believed to have later assured consumer rights activists that he too would pursue with the Health Secretary on the early commissioning of the South Goa FDA office.
Consumer rights activists pointed out that the FDA office will not only facilitate the consumers from down South spare the journey to Bambolim for official work but the office, once commissioned, will help the consumer clubs and rights activists as a meeting point for consumer activities.
“With the government insisting on opening and strengthening of consumer clubs, the FDA office in Margao can be a meeting point for the activists and club members,” informed Roland Martins.
He added: “I always keep saying that South Goa tend to be forgotten in general. I had raised this issue with legislators in the past. There are seven talukas in South Goa, and I am hoping that the FDA director will take the quick initiative to open the South Goa office in Margao, where representatives of consumer clubs can drop in the office since it is centrally located."
The Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) had spent a whopping Rs one crore to furnish the FDA sub-office with the state-of-the-state furniture to meet the requirements.
Take note that the three-year Defects Liability Period has lapsed since the GSIDC had furnished the premises three years ago.
Addressing the participants, Civil Supplies Secretary Sanjit Rodrigues complimented FDA behind the State receiving the Food Safety Index for the fourth consecutive year. He said the government is committed to providing funds and all-out assistance for the consumer clubs to spread awareness in the community.
“It is impossible for the government to reach out to every consumer. The consumer clubs can breach the gap and help consumers to assert their rights,” Sanjit said.
