i Evaluation of the Project Sanctioned to SAVERA for Organising an Information, Education and Communication Programme in Katihar and Kishanganj Districts of Bihar with Financial Assistance from CWF Sponsored by Department of Consumer Affairs Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Government of India New Delhi Conducted by Centre for Consumer Studies Indian Institute of Public Administration IP Estate, Ring Road, New Delhi
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i
Evaluation of the Project Sanctioned to SAVERA for Organising an Information, Education and Communication
Programme in Katihar and Kishanganj Districts of Bihar with Financial Assistance from CWF
Sponsored by
Department of Consumer Affairs Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
Government of India New Delhi
Conducted by
Centre for Consumer Studies Indian Institute of Public Administration
IP Estate, Ring Road, New Delhi
ii
Preface
Globalisation and liberalisation process has increased the number of consumer
related issues. The rising prosperity in the rural areas has made the rural consumers more
vulnerable to exploitation. The rural markets which were earlier ignored by most of the big
market players are now being seen as a land of great business opportunity. A number of
studies have shown that the rural markets are full of sub standard goods and duplicity of
branded goods is another major problem. The rural consumers face various problems like
adulteration, short weighing and measuring, lack of safety and quality control, unfair
warranties and guarantees, imitation, sales gimmicks and misleading advertisements.
Apart from this food adulteration and spurious drugs are causing major heath hazards.
In a country like India where a substantial number of the rural people are living
below the poverty line having high level of unemployment and low literacy level, consumer
awareness continues to remain low. Education is a life long process of constantly acquiring
relevant information, knowledge and skills. Consumer education is an important part of this
process and is a basic consumer right. The most important step in consumer education is
awareness of consumer rights. However, consumer education is incomplete without the
responsibilities and duties of consumers, and this influences individual behaviour to a great
extent. One of the major hindrances in the consumer movement in the country is the lack
of awareness among the consumers. The consumers apart from being unorganized do not
have the mechanism to understand their rights and responsibilities No doubt various
methods are being used to spread awareness but still a lot needs to be done. Various
stake holders particularly the grass root organizations need to work together to promote
consumer education.
The report is an evaluation of the project for organizing Information, Education and
Communication Programmes by SAVERA (Society for Advancement of Villagers
Empowerment and Rehabilitation of All) in Katihar and Kishanganj districts of Bihar. The
Project was for organizing Information, Education and Communication programmes by
SAVERA and funded by the Department of Consumer Affairs, GoI. The evaluation was
done by the Centre for Consumer Studies, Indian Institute of Public Administration, New
Delhi.
We are thankful to the Department of Consumer Affairs, GoI for giving the
evaluation study to the Centre for Consumer studies, IIPA, New Delhi. We are thankful to
the management of SAVERA for providing the necessary documents, records and
communications relating to the project and also giving time for discussions and meetings.
iii
We are also thankful to various district officials, school headmasters, teachers and other
functionaries for their cooperation and help in conducting the study. Without the support of
the villagers of the two districts this study could not have been completed. We are thankful
for their support and hospitality extended to us during the field survey.
The efforts put in by Dr. Amit Kumar Singh, Shri Virendra Misra, Shri Pankaj Singh
and Shri Ashutosh Kumar, Research Officers, Centre for Consumer Studies, IIPA is duly
acknowledged. Inspite of several constraints they completed the field work and data
tabulation well in time. Thanks are due to Deepa Bisht for the secretarial assistance
rendered in bringing out this report.
Date: 12.05.2011 Place: New Delhi
Prof. Suresh Misra Chair Professor & Coordinator Centre for Consumer Studies
IIPA, New Delhi
1
CONTENTS
Sl. No. Page No.
1. Preface i-ii
2. Chapter 1
Introduction 1 - 15
3. Chapter 2
Analysis of Cross Section of Village Respondents
16 - 44
4. Chapter 3
Analysis of Responses of Officials and Panchayati Raj Functionaries
45 - 58
5. Chapter 4
Findings and Recommendations
59 - 63
6. Annexure I 64-77
7. Annexure II 78
1
1
Introduction 1.1 Introduction
Consumerism is a process through which the consumers seek
redress, restitution and remedy for their dissatisfaction and frustration with
the help of their organised and unorganised efforts and activities. It is in fact
a social movement seeking to protect the rights of the consumers in relation
to the producers of goods and providers of services. In its wider perspective
it is an item on the agenda of administrative reforms for greater
accountability, responsiveness and transparency through the technique of
decentralisation, debureaucratization and devolved planning process. It’s a
part of the ongoing debate for good governance which recognizes the Right
to Information as a prerequisite. In many of the developed countries
consumerism has over the time developed into a sound force designed to
aid and protect the consumers by exerting legal, moral and economic
pressure on producers of goods and providers of the services.
A large number of studies have shown that due to lack of education
and information the exploitation of the consumers is rampant. Therefore,
consumer education and awareness are very important elements in dealing
with consumer protection. The present situation calls for greater efforts to
increase public knowledge and public participation, as consumer protection
to a large extent depends upon the support of an informed and alert public
opinion, governmental and non-governmental organizations. The consumers
need to be organised and empowered through education and awareness
process.
Growing choice and increasingly complex products and services
mean that getting the best deal can be a real challenge. Information on its
own is not enough. Skills are needed to make best use of the mass of
information available and the confidence to be able to deal with problems as
they arise. In the light of these challenges, the need for effective consumer
2
education has never been greater. Throughout our lives, we develop skills
and seek information to help us deal with the day-to-day business of living.
We learn and use these skills in a wide range of situations. When they are
developed in a consumer context and applied to information about goods
and services, we call the process as consumer education.
Consumer education delivers practical skills and knowledge that are
relevant to everyone and helps consumers to get the most from today’s
competitive markets where business work hard for their customers and
respond to their needs. The importance of consumer education is
increasingly being recognized. It should be an integral part of the formal
education and lifelong learning programmes. Consumer education can help
markets work well for consumers and also help to protect vulnerable
consumers, prevent consumer detriment and combat social exclusion.
Consumer education is thus a potent tool for empowering consumers and
empowered consumers are knowledgeable, confident, assertive and self
reliant.
As a tool for empowerment, consumer education is central to make
markets work well for consumers. Business can reap real benefits from an
active involvement in consumer education, improved communication with
more discerning customers and quicker, easier, and less expensive
solutions to problems where they arise. For this the consumer protection law
should set minimum standards for quality and safety and ensure that
consumers have access to updated and quality information. Thus to be
effective, consumer education initiatives should be focussed on clear
priorities and targeted at those most in need. By deciding priorities in this
way, consumer education can bring real benefits for vulnerable and socially
excluded consumer by offering the opportunity to gain valuable life skills.
1.2 Awareness and Education
To meet the challenges, consumers must arm themselves against
problems faced in the market since they are not automatically protected by
the market. Therefore, a consumer’s best defence is knowledge of his/her
3
rights as a consumer and of the remedies which exist to resolve these
problems when they occur. The various stakeholders in the consumer
protection movement need to work out a strategy to address the problems of
the consumers. Creating awareness and educating the consumers will go a
long way in helping the consumer to understand what constitutes consumer
protection, what is the need to know about one’s rights and how to redress
one’s grievances if anything goes wrong. Moreover an educated and
informed consumer will be able to take a rational decision while buying a
product or availing a service.
1.3 Profile of Indian Consumers
Eventhough, consumers are seen as a homogeneous entity yet in the
Indian context consumers can be broadly divided into two; urban and rural.
Within these two broad divisions the rich/poor and literate/non-literate divide
is very apparent. The profile of a consumer depends to a large extent on the
complexity of the social structure. The urban consumption patterns are seen
to be mainly unsustainable, as they are largely market dependent. If a basic
commodity like water is taken as an example, it would become clear, as to
how the urban and the rural consumption habits differ. In the urban context,
water is saleable commodity often marketed as “filtered” or “bottled”. In the
rural areas consumer education will include strategies of hygienic and
proper maintenance of rivers and wells and other sources of water.
Similarly rich and poor will have different connotations in the urban
and rural contexts. The urban consumer has to be educated to be “market
smart” and aware of hidden ‘premises’ whereas the rural consumer has to
be educated about resource maintenance and environment preservation.
The rich urban consumers have to learn about dangers of excessive and
wasteful consumption patterns. They have to be aware of their dependence
upon the rural sector and its consequent exploitation, if their consumption
habits are not selective. The rural consumers have to be educated about the
possible exploitation of their resources and the subsequent detrimental
changes in their life styles, if they are not protective of their environment and
yield to the pressure that booming urban markets exert upon rural areas.
4
Consumer education should foster mutual awareness and
understanding between the urban and rural sectors as well as rich and poor
sections of society. Consumer education can strengthen the bonds that exist
between various social segments and minimize the divisive factors. The
market and the industry seek to widen the gaps that exist and seek to rule
consumers through fostering divisions. The Consumer education
programmes whether at school and college levels or through government or
NGO channels should seek to remove these distances.
An aware consumer of any age, gender, class and background has
certain rights as well as responsibilities. Each segment has certain
responsibility towards others. All round sustainable development is possible
only if each consumer segment fulfils its duties and responsibilities
sincerely. If we want this movement to grow, more people will have to come
in. Greater consumer vigilance and action alone can help improve the
situation. But such efforts are not fruitful unless consumers themselves are
aware of their rights and responsibilities. Under these circumstances,
consumer literacy is the need of the hour, with special attention to low
income groups particularly living in the rural areas who suffer the most.
1.4 Need for Awareness among Rural Consumers
A change in consumption patterns and access to communication
media have made rural market a vital cog in the sales-growth wheel,
especially with the plateau in demand for many categories of products and
services in the urban markets. Inspite of increasing number of rural
consumers, provisions for consumer protection and welfare are often based
on the general standard and circumstances of those living in big cities and
towns. Although consumers as a whole are in an equal bargaining position,
there are certain recognizable groups which are disadvantaged in more
ways than the others. Disadvantaged consumers are those who are less
able to assert their rights and rural consumers comprise one such group.
Rural consumers remain disadvantaged as their right to information, choice,
redress, and consumer education are not sufficiently fulfilled. Consequently
5
such consumers need support in maintaining their rights so that they can
bargain equally with the producers or the service providers.
There are significant differences in the levels of awareness and
literacy among the rural and urban consumers. Per capita income in rural
area is half of that of urban areas. Value for money is more important to
rural people. They buy small quantities and more frequently. Urban people
often do not display brand loyalty whereas rural people display brand
stickiness. Due to lower literacy levels and less exposure among rural
people, touch and feel, seeing is believing and one-on-one communication
works well. The most common below-the-line communication platforms in
rural markets include haats, melas, mandis and other places of public
gathering. While communicating with the rural masses it is required that the
message delivered should be simple and direct to be effective.
As a result of globalization and liberalization the rural market in India
is the largest potential market in the world. Thus there are vast opportunities
for rural marketing. With the growth in rural markets and due to poor
knowledge about their rights and lack of skills to take a rational decision
based on information about the product or services, the rural consumers in
India are being exploited in many ways. The manufactures and traders take
advantage of the condition of the rural consumers. It has been observed that
the condition of the rural consumers is deplorable, because they are largely
exploited in the rural markets on account of lack of competition among the
sellers, low level of awareness and limited choice. The rural consumer has
been made to endure sub-standard products and services, adulterated
foods, short weights and measures, spurious and hazardous drugs,
exorbitant prices, unfulfilled manufacturing guarantees, lack of safety and
quality control in appliances and equipments, electrical and mechanical,
unfair warranties and guarantees, imitation, sales gimmicks and
unreasonable pricing and host of other ills. The rural consumers who
generally depend on weekly markets to purchase essential things are often
cheated due to lack of choice.
6
The rural consumers in India are generally ignorant and they are also
unorganized. Thus, they are exploited by the manufacturers, traders and the
service providers in different way. They are not only scattered but also
diverse and heterogeneous. The government and its various agencies need
to counter the misleading claims of the producers/ service providers. Jago
Grahak Jago is an important means to communicate with the consumers.
However, to communicate effectively with the rural audiences, we need to
move further. It is important to understand the aspirations, fears and hopes
of rural consumers. The NGOs have an important role to play in consumer
education and empowerment at the grassroot level. However, the task is
gigantic and therefore, it is time to involve the local level
institutions/organisations to reach the rural consumers. As the largest
consumer base is in the rural areas, protecting the rural consumer has to be
a priority in any strategy to protect the consumers.
1.5 Report of the Working Group
The report of the Working Group1 constituted by the Department of
Consumer Affairs in the first volume has also recognized the need for
creation of awareness among consumers about their rights in the entire
country. The report also recognizes that the people living in the remote and
rural areas do often become victims of unlawful trade practices being
adopted by wrongdoers due to lack of education and poor knowledge. To
give impetus to the consumers’ right of education and awareness a national
awareness programme requires to be launched aggressively at the district
and sub-district levels with the help of State Government, Educational
Institutions, Local VCOs, Self Help Groups, PRIs and Urban Local Bodies
(ULBs) with particular emphasis and focus on rural areas and most
vulnerable sections of consumers. Consumer awareness and education
needs to be pursued with appropriate plan/schemes and activities designed
on the principle of PPP and using the entire medium available for the
purpose.
1 Department of Consumer Affairs, Report of the Working Group on Consumer Protection, Vol I pp.
28-31, DCA, GoI
7
For Consumer education there is a need for a holistic policy and
better re-sourcing of activities geared towards consumer education. There
are many opportunities for delivering consumer education and lot of good
work has already been done across the country. There is a need to find out
how all the present initiatives relate to each other. There is also a need to
look at best international practices. Consumer education is still a poorly
understood concept. A coordinated approach is needed to get the best from
all involved. The main stakeholders – government departments, industry,
consumer groups, education and advice providers, interest groups and
community agencies – need to work together.
Some of the steps identified by the Working Group on Consumer Education are:
To begin with we should target particular groups of the population and prioritise the needs of those with specific gaps.
One needs to ensure that consumer education is accessible, appropriate, flexible, adaptable and relevant.
There is a need for introducing consumer education in the basic curricula of the education system.
Strengthen the consumer club scheme with coverage of 20,000 Colleges and 50,000 High/Senior Secondary Schools by the end of Eleventh Plan.
Educational programmes need to be flexible and responsive in nature. Consumer education can be made more relevant when linked to different situations such as at school, at home, while in a public place, etc. Locally, peer education can be an effective tool. Parent education programs and family support programmes can help parents in good decision making on behalf of their wards.
An effective consumer education programme should also cover training of teachers belonging to schools, colleges and universities to enhance their exposure to content and ideas relevant for consumer education.
Consumer education programmes should be flexible in nature – able to respond to the needs of specific groups of consumers.
Key community figures can also provide consumer education, in the form of peer education.
Effective consumer awareness efforts depend on the participation of individuals and organizations from various walks of life. The media have a strong role to play, as do community organizations, educational institutions, VCOs and religious groups.
8
It is further strongly recommended that a system needs to be evolved at the Planning Commission level for the transfer of 20 per-cent of the Publicity budget of the Central Ministries to DCA to facilitate its task of Consumer education and awareness.
Consumers in rural areas are less aware of their rights than the urban compatriots. Hence a concerted effort may be made to rope in organized groups like Self-Help Groups/ Women associations/ student teacher community etc. to reach out to people in rural areas.
Existing advocacy initiatives under the CWF should be continued and strengthened.
1.6 Recommendation of Standing Committee Further the recommendations contained in the 20th Report of the
Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (14th
Lok Sabha) on the subject “Consumer Movement in the Country” states that
the Department of Consumer Affairs should take the desired initiatives to
involve Panchayati Raj Institutions in various programmes related to
consumer awareness. The Committee further felt that the best forum to
educate the rural masses about their rights as consumers as well as the
techniques to redress their grievances is the meetings of the Gram Sabha.
There is no doubt that unless the consumer awareness is taken to the
grassroot level not much can be achieved as India still lives in the rural
areas. Therefore, there is a need to involve local institutions in the rural
areas particularly the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the consumer
movement.
1.7 Evaluation of the Project sanctioned to SAVERA
The evaluation of the project sanctioned to SAVERA for organising
information, education and communication programme in Kathiar and
Kishanganj district of Bihar with financial assistance from Consumer Welfare
Fund was carried out by the Centre for Consumer Studies, Indian Institute of
Public Administration, New Delhi on the request of the Department of
Consumer Affairs, GoI. The project is being executed by M/s SAVERA,
9
(Society for Advancement of Villagers Empowerment and Rehabilitation of
All). Under the project, awareness camps were organized at Panchayat,
Block and District levels. The impact evaluation study focussed on the
outcome of the consumer awareness in the proposed areas on the whole.
The study has examined the usefulness of the project, impact of the
awareness programmes organised by SAVERA and the capability of
SAVERA to execute such projects.
1.8 About the SAVERA Project
“SAVERA” (Society for Advancement of Villagers Empowerment and
Rehabilitation of All), D-17A, Nanhe Park, Delhi had submitted a proposal
for financial assistance from Consumer Welfare Fund for organizing an
Information, Education and Communication (IEC) programme in Katihar and
Kishanganj districts of Bihar at an estimated cost of ` 39.93 lakhs (Rupees
thirty nine lakh ninety three thousand only). The same was approved by the
Department vide its letter No. O-11011/ 56/ 2006-CWF dated June 14, 2007.
Accordingly SAVERA was required to conduct an IEC programme in the two
districts of Bihar viz: Katihar and Kishanganj for strengthening consumer
movement at grassroots and to set-up a Consumer Counselling Committees
at village and block level. In furtherance of the above sanction letter the first
MoU was signed between SAVERA and DCA, GoI on August 2007. The
breakup of the activities to be carried out under the project was as follow:
Sl.No Item Quantity 1. Total Panchayat Level programme 200 2. Total Block Level Programme 80 3. Total District Level Programme 5 Total 285
In continuation of the above sanction, SAVERA submitted another
proposal for additional financial assistance of ` 16,73,000/- (Rupees sixteen
lakh seventy three thousand only) on the ground that the financial
assistance approved does not have any provision for publicity which is an
important part of the project. Department of Consumer Affairs, GoI approved
` 13,20,000/- (Rupees thirteen lakh and twenty thousand only) as grant-in-
10
aid to SAVERA for meeting the expenses of the publicity material.
Accordingly, a sum of ` 12,09,000/- (Rupees twelve lakh nine thousand
only) (13,20,000-1,11,000 already sanctioned for training material and audio
visual equipment cost) as grant-in-aid to SAVERA for meeting the expenses
of the publicity material of the above mentioned project was sanctioned vide
Letter No. O-11011/56/2006-CWF dated 28-12-2007/ 1-1-2008. After the
sanction letters dated 14-6-2007 & 28-12-2007/ 1-1-2008 were issued, a
fresh modified MoU for the project was entered on January 15, 2008.
As per the MoU the primary objective of the project was to take steps
to enhance awareness among consumers in the two districts and also to set
up consumer counselling committees at village and block levels to serve as
resource centers for consumers seeking information and guidance. The
organisation was supposed to perform any or all of the following functions,
as the Monitoring Committee may direct:
i. To impart consumer education to create awareness.
ii. To identify and disseminate best practices in the field of consumer protection.
iii. Sponsor/ Organize seminars/ workshops/conferences etc. on consumer related issues at village /block /district levels.
iv. To set consumer counselling committees at village/block level.
v. Any other activity.
To conduct the above activities a grant of ` 52.02 lakhs (Rupees fifty
two lakhs two thousand only) was disbursed to SAVERA in four equal
instalments. Initially the project was for a period of one year from the date of
signing of the agreement i.e. 2007-2008 which could be further extended by
mutual written consent. The project was monitored by the District Collector.
The calendar activities were circulated in advance to Collector and the
Collector had to send concurrent evaluation report on the project activities to
the Department of Consumer Affairs for release of next instalment. For the
proper monitoring of the project SAVERA was also required to send a
11
monthly report of activities and a detailed annual performance cum activity
report at the end of project to the Department of Consumer Affairs, GoI.
1.9 Reasons for Delay in Completion of the Project
As per the MoU, SAVERA was to execute the project within a time
span of one year starting from August 2007. However, various activities
were spread over a period of three years i.e. from 2007 to 2010 as per the
list of programmes conducted by SAVERA (Annexure I). The programmes
started from 24th December 2007 and continued till 15th March, 2010.
SAVERA claims that they completed the required 285 programmes within
the stipulated time frame of 250 working days but these programmes were
spread over a period of three years.
Grant Received from Ministry
Sl. No.
Date of Grant
released on
Purpose Amount
1. 21/06/2007 For documentary and Programme
10,00,000.00
2. 10/01/2008 For Publicity Materials 12,09,000.00
3. 10/10/2008 For programme 10,00,000.00 4. 30/11/2009 For programme 19,93,000.00 According to SAVERA delay in release of grant was the major reason
for delay in completion of the project. After the completion of programmes
SAVERA used to send the performance report on time to the respective
District Magistrate’s Office but there was undue delay on the part of DM to
send it back to the Department of Consumer Affairs, GoI which resulted in
late submission of utilization certificates and hence delayed release of the
installments from the Ministry. Though SAVERA received the sanctioned
amount in four installments as per the MoU but the last installment was
released by the Department of Consumer Affairs only on 30th November,
2009. As a result they were not able to conduct the programmes within the
stipulated time frame and the project was extended till March 15, 2010.
12
1.10 Techniques used by SAVERA for Generating Awareness
To achieve the objectives the techniques /methods used by SAVERA
were Prabhat Pheri (rally), lecture, screening of documentary film, street
play (nukkad natak), and organising cultural programmes. Duration of the
programme was of half day in each village. The villagers were informed in
advance about the date and time of the half day consumer awareness camp
to be organised in their villages and all the villagers were requested to
attend the programme. Representatives of panchayat, schools and local
officials were also requested to attend the programme. Women and school
children were especially encouraged to participate in the programme in large
number.
In most of the villages, the programme started with a consumer
awareness rally and the participants of this rally were mostly school children,
women and SAVERA personnel. Usually the rally started from the schools
and passed through the lanes of the village. In most of the villages the
school was chosen as the venue for the programmes. The choice of the
school as the venue was a good idea mainly because of its accessibility and
also that most of the villages knew about its location. The rally was followed
by lectures. The topics of the lectures related to the various issues of
consumer protection and awareness. The topics covered in the programmes
related to basic information about Consumer Protection Act and Rules,
defective goods and deficient services, deceptive practices by traders,
general mistakes made by common man and tips for being a smart and alert
consumer. After the lectures, cultural programmes were organised for the
benefit of the participants. Through the medium of singing and other cultural
activities the message of Consumer Welfare was passed on to the villagers.
Artists in these programmes were mostly locals who used local dialects to
spread the consumer awareness messages. It was an easy form of
communications. Subsequently, villagers were also shown documentary
films prepared by SAVERA titled “Jagruk Upbhokta Surakshit Upbhokta”.
The documentary depicted the day to day common problems faced by the
consumers and provided remedies available to the consumers. The
13
documentary was in Hindi with Bhojpuri dialect. Local problems and issues
were highlighted in the documentary. The documentary has been seen by
the research team and is well made, informative, educative and effective. At
some places Nukkad Nataks and Puppet shows were also used to spread
the message. A Pamphlet in Hindi published by SAVERA containing
information on consumer awareness was also distributed to the villagers. It
contained relevant information regarding consumer rights, machinery for
redressal of consumer grievances and where to approach in case of
problem. It provided relevant information to consumers.
1.11 Research Methodology of the Evaluation Study
The evaluation study has been carried out with the help of both
primary and secondary sources. Discussions were held with SAVERA
officials in their office at Purnia. The documents and records were also
examined. The major target groups of the awareness programme were the
villagers, panchayat officials, students, teachers and headmasters of the
school where programmes were conducted. The interviews were conducted
with the help of structured questionnaire consisting of close ended
questions. Two separate questionnaires were prepared one for the villagers
and another for government/ panchayat officials. Discussions were also held
with the local village and block officials. District officials were also
approached for information.
The major objective of the Evaluation study was to assess the level of
knowledge acquired by the villagers as well as the quality, effectiveness and
benefits of the awareness programmes conducted by SAVERA in the first
phase. The respondents were asked simple questions related to various
issues regarding the awareness programmes. The information collected
through the questionnaire was analysed with the help of simple statistical
techniques, tabulated and interpreted and is presented in a report forum.
The Report is divided into four chapters.
14
1.12 Study Area of the Evaluation Study
Districts Covered in the Field Survey
Bihar
As per the data provided by M/s SAVERA and the project proposal,
the awareness programmes were conducted in 2 districts of Bihar. The
programmes were organized in all the 19 Blocks of the two Districts.
However, due to constraint of time and manpower it was difficult to conduct
the study of all the 19 Blocks to assess the impact and outcome of these
awareness programmes. Therefore, to collect the primary data, random
sampling technique was used and sample blocks were selected for the
survey. In the first step 5 blocks of each district were chosen for the study.
The Blocks were selected keeping in view the geographical spread of the
sample area so as to cover all the parts of respected Districts. Thus more
than 50 percent of the Blocks constituted the sample size. In the second
step four villages from each Block were selected randomly. Again at the
village level samples were selected from two categories: (i) 20 villagers were
approached to collect information through one set of structured schedules
and (ii) 5 village representatives from each village, preferably panchayat
Kishanganj
Katihar
15
officials and school teachers who attended the programmes were also
interviewed with the second set of questionnaire to have their opinion about
the quality and requirements of this type of awareness programmes.
Therefore a total of 1000 persons were interviewed from the two districts.
The sample selection procedure is presented in the following diagram.
Apart from this focus group discussions were also held with a large
number of students, women and consumers from the villages to assess the
level of awareness about consumer protection issues achieved as a result of
the consumer awareness programme and also to gather information about
the programmes organized in their area. Discussions were also held with
various officials at the block level and district level to assertion their views
about the programmes in particular and the project in general.
Sample Plan: Unit & Size
2 Districts
Katihar
Five Blocks from each District (5x2 = 10)
Four Villages from each Block {(4 x 10 = 40)
Total Sample Size 800+200= 1000
Kishanganj
Barari
Kadwa
Pranpur
Katihar
Sameli
Kishanganj
Bahadurgarhanj
Kochadaman
Dighalbanknk
Pothiya
Twenty Persons from each Village 20 x 40 = 800
Five Eminent Persons from each Village 5 x 40 = 200
16
2
Analysis of Cross Section of Village Respondents
Rural India constitutes a huge consumer base. Due to ignorance, low
literacy level as well as lack of consumer education and awareness the
consumers are exploited by the marketers. The exploitation is in various
forms. With the rise in rural prosperity and the changing consumption
pattern in the rural areas there is a need to enhance the awareness of the
rural consumers on various issues. The main objective of the Project was to
take the consumer movement to the grassroots level and impart consumer
education to the village residents so as to enhance awareness about their
consumer rights. As SAVERA had organised consumer awareness
programmes at the Village level, it was necessary to have the opinion of a
cross section of the residents of the village about the usefulness of the
programmes. Accordingly the chapter has been divided into three sections.
Section I deals with the socio- economic background of the respondents. In
Section II, has attempted to evaluate the perceptions of the cross section of
the villagers about the usefulness and effectiveness of the Consumer
Awareness Programmes and Section III evaluates the extent of knowledge
gained by them as a result of the programmes.
SECTION I
2.1 Distribution of Respondents according to Sex
Majority of the respondents (77.3 percent) were males and 22.7
percent of them were females. District wise the percentage of female
respondents was 24.2 for Katihar and 21.3 for Kishanganj. (Table 2.1)
During the survey it was observed that the school going girls were very
eager to answer and express their views while the older women were shy
about expressing their views. This is mainly because of the backwardness of
these two districts and also due to low level of literacy.
Source: Field Survey, CCS,IIPA 3.12 Items Distributed during the Programme According to the project proposal SAVERA was to distribute notepad,
pen, books, pamphlets and refreshment to the participants attending the
programmes. As per the respondents, 72.7 percent of the participants said
that they had received notepad, 61 percent received pen and only 77.9
percent got refreshment. As far as publicity material is concerned, SAVERA
did not distribute any handbook on consumer protection/ training manual as
confirmed by 80 percent of the respondents. However, SAVERA had
distributed a one page pamphlet in Hindi which the local people could easily
understand. The pamphlet contained relevant information regarding rights of
the consumer and the redressal available to the consumers in case of
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grievance regarding defective goods or deficient services. 74 percent of the
respondents opined that they had received the pamphlet (table 3.7).
Table 3.7 Items Distributed During the Programme
Districts
Items Response Katihar Kishanganj Total Yes 59.5 85.0 72.7 Note pad
No 40.5 15.0 27.3 Yes 40.5 80.0 61.0 Pen
No 59.5 20.0 39.0 Yes 16.2 22.5 19.5 Books
No 83.8 77.5 80.5 Yes 64.9 82.5 74.0 Pamphlet
No 35.1 17.5 26.0 Yes 67.6 87.5 77.9 Refreshment
No 32.4 12.5 22.1 Yes 8.1 2.5 5.2 Nothing
No 91.9 97.5 94.8 Source: Field Survey, CCS,IIPA
3.13 Level of Satisfaction
The feedback of the respondents about the usefulness of the
awareness programme is an important element in evaluating the success of
such programmes. When the respondents were asked about their opinion
regarding the impact of the programme and their level of satisfaction with the
programme, the response was quite encouraging. 60.5 percent of the
respondents were satisfied to a large extent with the programmes, followed
by 28.1 percent who were satisfied to some extent. While the ones who
were not at all satisfied were 11.4 percent. District wise also 68.2 percent of
respondents in Kathiar and 52.9 percent in Kishanganj were satisfied to a
large extent with the programmes conducted by SAVERA. By and large
people were satisfied with the knowledge imparted and message conveyed
during such programmes (Table 3.8).
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Table 3.8 Satisfaction Level of the Respondents about the Programmes
Level of Satisfaction
Districts Designation To large extent To some extent Not at all Gram Pradhan 71.4 20.6 8.0Sarpanch 62.5 26.5 11.0Headmaster 75.8 18.2 6.0Teacher 63.0 24.0 13.0
Findings and Recommendations 4.1 Findings 4.1.1 Administrative and Financial
1) The project was to be completed within a year i.e. from August 2007-July 2008. However, it was spread over three years from 2007 to 2010 and the delay diluted the impact of the awareness programmes as they could not be launched vigorously, hence the campaign lacked momentum.
2) Examination of documents, orders and records reveals that the project encountered a number of administrative and financial problems. There appears to be a lack of coordination between the three major stakeholders, i.e. SAVERA, the District Magistrate of the concerned districts and DoCA, GoI.
3) The monitoring mechanism put in place was not effective hence delay in the implementation of the project. The reports were not sent in time by the District Magistrate and DCA could not release funds in time hence the pace of the implementation of the project was very slow.
4) The delay in release of grants is one of the major problems associated with the implementation of the project. Grants were released on 21/6/2007, 10/01/2008, 10/10/2008 and 30/11/2009. The period between the third instalment and the fourth one is more than a year. Therefore, it was difficult to sustain the project and hence delay in its implementation and it had only limited multiplier effect.
5) As per records and documents available and examined no major programme was organised to celebrate the National Consumer Day and World Consumer Day in the respective two districts so as to educate the consumers.
6) The project as such is good as there is a need to educate rural consumers and create awareness on various issues relating to consumer welfare. The involvement of school children is essential as they are the best communicators of consumer issue.
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4.1.2 Response of Villagers
1) Majority of the respondents (71.9 percent) know about SAVERA and 51.9 percent were aware that it is an NGO. 97.1 percent of them came into contact with SAVERA only during the programmes being conducted in their area.
2) The methodology /technique adopted to educate the rural consumers included rallies, public talk, speeches, street plays, screening of documentary films and organising cultural programmes. 92.6 percent of the respondents agreed that the film highlighted day to day consumer problems. 63.1 percent of them confirmed street plays were organised, 57.1 percent and 49.7 percent confirmed that rallies and cultural programmes were organised.
3) 81.9 percent of the respondents had seen the documentary, while 60.2 percent had seen street play and 48.8 percent actually saw the cultural programmes.
4) Even though the programme was to target school children yet the participation of school children in the rallies was low, as only 45.4 percent of the respondents participated in the rallies. School children did not participate in large number in the programmes organised in the afternoons.
5) The programmes were generally well attended. The respondents and the records show that the participation varied from programme to programme and ranged between 100-400 participants. Adequate publicity was given to the programmes.
6) The survey results indicate that only 58.3 percent of the respondents received notepad, 60.8 percent got pens and 41 percent were given refreshments during the programmes. As far as the quality of the programmes is concerned 55.4 percent of the respondents found it to be of very good quality and 35.6 percent were of the view that the programmes were good as they highlighted common day to day problems in the local language.
7) 30.4 percent of the respondents found the programmes to be very useful while 48.5 percent found it to be of some use. 77.6 percent found the documentary film to be very useful and an effective medium of communication.
8) As a result of the programmes, no substantial change in the buying behaviour of the respondents is seen. 61.9 percent of the respondents checked the weight of the product they purchased,
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13.1 percent read the MRP on the packet, 8.5 percent always checked the manufacturing date and only 11.3 percent checked the manufacturing date sometime. 72.5 percent of the respondents always bargained on the price. Lack of literacy and purchase of loose items on credit was cited as a major reason for not checking the above markings.
9) Only 6.8 percent knew about ISI mark. 26.3 percent had seen veg/ Non-veg marking and 24.1 percent knew about Agmark. Students constituted the bulk of the respondents who knew about these markings.
10) Awareness about CP Act is lacking as only 4.31 percent of the respondents knew about the CP Act. 79.6 percent did not know the definition of consumer as per the Act and only 16.07 percent had some idea. 76.5 percent knew about “Jago Grahak Jago” advertisement and the main source of information was radio (59.8 percent).
11) The survey found that the Consumer Counselling Committees constituted under the project were ineffective and did not play the desired role. In large number of villages they do not exist at all. Wherever it existed the quality of manpower was poor hence only 7.1 percent of the respondents approached the CCS for advice/need. 58.8 percent knew about the existence of such Committees but had not approached them.
12) The business committee did not favour the organisation of such awareness programmes.
4.1.3 Response of Officials/ PRI Functions
1) The survey included 89.6 percent males and 10.4 percent females. Majority of the respondents were in the age group of 41-60 years (50.3 percent). 36.4 percent of the respondents were graduates.
2) 90.7 percent of the respondents knew about SAVERA and 55.6 percent knew that it was an NGO. 97.4 percent of the respondents confirmed that various programmes were organised by SAVERA in the villages and at block level.
3) 85.2 percent of the respondents agreed that consumer awareness documentary film was screened, 55.9 percent said that street plays were organised. 47.3 percent indicated that cultural programmes were organised and 48.2 percent of them confirmed that rallies had been organised.
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4) As far as the time period is concerned 51.9 percent of the respondents said that the programmes was organised a year back, 40.3 agreed that it was organised two years back and 7.8 percent were of the view that it was organised three years back.
5) Majority of the respondents (55.8 percent) agreed that the programmes were well attended and participants ranged between 200-300. At times it was more than 500.
6) 72.7 percent of the respondents received notepad, 61 percent received pen and 22.1 percent got refreshments.
7) 60.5 percent of the respondents were satisfied with the programmes, 22.5 percent were of the view that the experts were very good. Majority of them agreed with the timing of the programmes was good. No training manual or handbook has been prepared by SAVERA nor has it been distributed. A one page pamphlet was distributed.
8) 93.9 percent of the respondents agreed that there is a need for such programmes as they are an important source of information to the consumers. Majority of them agreed (83.8 percent) that where the programme was organised the level of awareness had increased.
4.2 Recommendations
1) The project is important as the bulk of the consumers live in rural areas and is exploited in various forms. There is a need to educate the rural consumers and also to involve the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the consumer movement. Hence such programmes may be continued with appropriate checks and balances.
2) SAVERA as an organisation has the capacity and reach to undertake such projects of consumer education and awareness. They have been able to mobilise rural consumers to a large extent.
3) The monitoring mechanism provided in the project did not function effectively hence delay in dispatch of the reports which led to delay in the implementation of the project. The involvement of the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Government of Bihar will be useful. The Director, Consumer Affairs in the state government can be made the nodal officer instead of the DM to monitor the project, inspect and send reports to DoCA, GoI.
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4) A project of high value like the present one should have a provision for mid term review based on field data.
5) The number of participants at places increased many fold due to the involvement of local politicians hence the programme lost its educational value. There is a need to fix a range of participants say 100-150 per programme.
6) The quality of resource persons/trainers needs to be improved. A list of resource persons should be prepared and training imparted to them well in advance. A Trainer Manual /Guide Book should be prepared and adequate training imparted to the resource persons.
7) The duration of each programmes should be increased. It could be atleast a half day programme but preferably a full day programme. In the morning rallies should be organised followed by a general awareness programme. In the evening documentary and cultural programmes be organised followed by focus group interaction. Gathering a mass of people and lecturing will have limited effect.
8) School children should be involved in large numbers in the programmes. The schools should become the central point. Activities like debates, poster/painting competition should also be organised for school children.
9) The village Consumer Counselling Committees are more or less disfunctional and have not played an effective role. They need to be revived and strengthened so that the consumers can seek advice and help. A nodal person should be in-charge of each committee with knowledge of consumer issues. He should be trained. The location, time and other details of the committee should be published. These committees could be linked to the state helpline and consumer advice centres being set up in the state.
10) The President and Members of the District Forums should be involved as they can play a role in such awareness programmes.
11) A Booklet on Consumer Protection must be prepared along with pamphlets and these be distributed in large numbers.
12) Panchayati Raj Institutions should be involved to educate the rural masses and generate awareness. Consumer Awareness Programmes can be organised during the Gram Sabha Meetings.
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Annexure I
SAVERA Programmes Schedule
PANCHAYAT LEVEL PROGRAMME
S.no Programme level
Name of the Block
Panchyat Date Place
1. Panchayat Dighal bank Tulsiya 31.01.08 Middle school, tulsiya