Govt approves Rs 100 cr for consumer campaign

The Expenditure Finance Commission has approved Rs 100 crore for the consumer awareness campaign being carried out by three advertising agencies "" Mudra, Everest Integrated Communications Ltd and Rediffussion DY&R.

Officials said Rs 15 crore would be used in 2005-06 while the remaining amount would be used in the next fiscal.

The department of consumer affairs had earlier allocated Rs 70 crore for the campaign for the 2005-06 period.

While Mudra is handling the creative work on an all-India basis, Everest is responsible for the Northeast region. Rediffussion DY&R has the gold hallmark and ISI account. Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity is responsible for the job.

In the second phase (2006-07) of the consumer awareness campaign, 602 districts will be covered. The Planning Commission has identified consumer protection as a thrust area.

The standing committee on food, civil supplies and public distribution had earlier held that an allocation of Rs 3.30 crore for 2004-05 was inadequate for consumer protection activities.

For the Northeast region, the rural areas campaign will involve song and drama division and field publicity units of the ministry of information and broadcasting and publicity units of the state governments.