Now,candidates to talk on consumer rights

As campaigning gathers momentum,political leaders,probably for the first time,will be seen participating in a debate that does not involve usual topics like vote bank,caste equations and party agenda. A debate organised by city-based consumer rights’ organisation Grahak Hitvardhini will see representatives of political parties discussing various consumer rights and ways of incorporating them into the political agenda.

“The discussion will revolve around the charter of consumer demands released by Grahak Hitvardhini last month. It includes demands to mention every detail of the amount charged by MSEDCL with no ‘others’ column on the bill,underground cabling in PMC and gram panchayats,to make options of professional and employment-oriented courses available after class VIII,make balwadis and anganwadi teachers full-time,to ban erecting mobile towers on residential,commercial,educational institutions and heritage buildings and so on,” said advocate D G Sant,secretary ,Grahak Hitvardhini.

The debate is open to thepublic and the panel discussion will be followed by a ‘question and answer’ session with the audience. “We expect a commitment from the political leaders on at least some of the demands put up in the charter. However,we shall press for a one-point agenda,eradication of corruption,” said Sudhakar Velankar,founder member of the organisation.

Mayor Rajlaxmi Bhosale,BJP city chief Girish Bapat,chief of consumer rights’ cell of Congress Ramesh Iyer,city publicity chief of Shiv Sena Shirish Phadtare,PMC party MNS chief Ravindra Dhangekar and other civic officals and consumer rights’ activists have confirmed their presence as panelists in the debate,which will take place on September 25 at 5 pm at Tilak Smarak Mandir.