Consumer Rights, Education & Awareness Trust (CREAT), was started in 1983 as a public charitable trust by Y.G. Muralidharan (also a trustee of the organisation) and three others. Here are a few excerpts from an interview with Mr Muralidharan.

What are the activities of CREAT?
CREAT promotes consumer protection and welfare, provides information and empowers consumers on various issues. It also takes up complaints and creates a network of consumer associates in Karnataka. We also hold workshops to train consumer activists.

CREAT also forms cells in its information centres to bring out the best among citizens in the areas of World Trade Organisation (WTO), civil societies and good governance. We also campaign for the citizens’ charter. We also advise people on filing complaints and distribute leaflets on where and how to file them.

Tell us something about your infrastructure.
The Trust has set up a consumer information centre with assistance from the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India. The centre has computer and Internet facilities and information for consumers. We have over 3,000 books on consumer protection, health, environment, and consumer law, besides the consumer court judgments from 1986. We also subscribe to 20 magazines on consumer issues.

CREAT has set up voluntary consumer forums in five rural areas near Bangalore and consumer clubs _ one in a school, the other in a college.

Can you name the areas you represent consumers in.
Central Consumer Protection Council, Government of India. CREAT is the lone consumer body that represents the Council in Karnataka. It represents LIC Policy Holders Council, Bangalore Division I and II and is also a member of Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission Advisory Committee. The Trust is also a member of Consumer Affairs Committee of the Petroleum Ministry and represents consumers in the consumer business forum of FKCCI.

Any accreditation?
Our Trust is the only consumer group in India to be on the general body of National Board of Accreditation Laboratories, Ministry of Science and Technology.

Some information about consumer courts.
The Consumer Protection Act or the CPA was passed in 1987. Under the Act, consumer redressal forums could be set up at the district, state and the national levels.

With doctors coming under CPA, what role do you see for for these forums?
The government doctors don’t come under the Act as they render free service. The service is covered if a fee is charged for it.

Hierarchy of consumer courts.
As per the amendment to the CPA, any compensation within Rs 20,00,000 will come under the district court, 20,00,000 to 100,000,000 state level courts and beyond 100,000,000 the national-level courts.

Can you appeal against the verdict of consumer court in civil courts?
The High Court is empowered to adjudicate against these verdicts. Besides, courts generally uphold the judgment of the lower court.

Can you appeal against a consumer court verdict in a higher court?
The judgment in a district-level court can be challenged at the state level or the national-level. Ignoring court judgment amounts to contempt.

Can consumer courts enforce their verdict?
You must go in for an execution petition under Section 25 or 27 of CPA. The forum will transfer it to the court for implementation. In Karnataka, it can be executed only under some provisions of Section 27. Consumer forums can also order imprisonment, though it will not handle criminal cases or family matters.

What are the prerequisites for starting a consumer forum?
As the consumer forum is a quasi-judicial body, only NGOs can start it as a Trust or Society.

What are the kinds of cases such courts (or CREAT) handle?
On an average, we handle three cases a day. At least, 100 cases are handled each month.

Other activities of CREAT.
We prepare position papers for the parliamentary committees of the Centre. We have made presentations to the government on weights and measures, mineral water, etc. At present, we are readying a presentation for the Planning Commission on transparency and accountability in administration. How to make administration citizen friendly. We have also started a campaign against smoking in public. As consumers, we are concerned about public health. Anybody can join this campaign.

Tell us something about your website.
We plan to go online within a month. It would allow interactions on the Internet and provide many interesting links on consumer affairs. Besides, queries will be answered by email. CREAT also plans to come out with a Kannada magazine on consumer issues.

Address:
CREAT, 239, 5th `C’ Main Road,
Remco Layout, Vijayanagar, Bangalore – 560 040.
Ph: 3403170, 3357280
Fax: 3303973
email: ygmcreat@hotmail.com

Deepa Photographs by Ravindra Nayak C.H.

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