Sustained campaign for ensuring Swacchta by the Department of Consumer Affairs

The Department of Consumer Affairs observed Swachhta Pakhwada from 16-28 February, 2018. During this campaign various activities/events were organised by the Department.

1.    The Pakhwada began with the administration of Swachhta pledge to the employees of the Department on 16.2.2018. The Department carried out in-house activities through cleanliness drives in the office premises, holding of Nukkad Natak within and outside the office premises for generating awareness regarding swachhata.

2.    During the Swachhta Pakhwada, nationwide campaigns on consumer awareness including consumers’ responsibility towards Swachhta were carried out on Doordarshan and major C&S channels.  The campaign was also carried out on 30 FM channels, 66 Primary Channels & 88 local Radio Stations of All India Radio.

3.    In order to put in place mechanism for sustained campaign for ensuring Swachhta, the Department worked on two schemes namely, (i) Clean Consumer Fora and (ii) Clean Market.

Under the scheme, Clean Consumer Fora, financial assistance was given for construction of three toilets, one each for men, women and differently abled persons.  It was given to 278 district fora for construction of 834 toilets.  As part of the clean market scheme, Voluntary Consumer organisations (VCOs) are being associated with to carry out swachhta related activities in association with market associations and local authorities in market places.  Financial assistance of Rs. 15,000/- per month to selected VCO is given under the scheme.  During Pakhwada, 8 VCOs in 5 states have been selected for such financial assistance.

4.  Department conducted video conferencing with controllers of Legal Metrology in all states / UTs wherein Secretary, Consumer Affairs also interacted with the State Government officers.  The officials of the State Governments were asked to engage shopkeepers and through them impress upon their consumers for cleanliness of shops.

5.   The field offices of the Department of Consumer Affairs such as National Test House (NTH) and autonomous body, namely, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)  also undertook innovative activities through their field offices.  All the six regional offices of the NTH took up cleanliness drive in and around office premises including schools where students were sensitized about swacchta and water purifiers were installed.

6.  Director General, BIS through video conferencing urged the heads of Regional Offices, Branch Offices and laboratories to carry out cleanliness drive.  As part of solid waste management, the Patna branch carried out campaigning about bio degradable waste.  The regional offices of the Bureau carried out awareness programmes for consumers and industry for utilization of the standards on solid waste management.  They also screened a film on street food vendors based on Indian standards in 9 schools and 2 localities.