ABGP submits Memorandum to the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu

To                                                                                                                            Date: June 6,2013 

Honourable Chief Minister, 

Tamil nadu.

Through:

Special Officer, 

Chief Minister’s Special Cell,

Secretariat. Chennai – 600 009. 

Respected Madam, 

Sub: Memorandum submitted to Honourable Chief Minister, appealing 

· Labour Department Officials and Food Inspectors to conduct frequent surprise inspections and take Suitable action against violations of Packaged Commodities Act, MRP Act and Food Safety and Standards Rules 2011 at way side Hotels and nearby stalls, where Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporations’ Buses stop.

· To open more Quality and Fair priced Motels with Well Maintained Sanitary facilities in all SETC routes and Women Self Help Groups / Self Help Groups may be entrusted to run such Motels in these places by providing them required financial assistance etc.,

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We wish to introduce ourselves as AKHIL BHARTIYA GRAHAK PANCHAYAT (ABGP): An All India Consumer Movement started in September 1974./ It has , All India Registration No: S/9194 Delhi. ABGP is now having its branches in 36 States with 520 consumer awakening centers’ in 180 Districts.

We feel happy to approach and appeal the Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu whose Vision is to make Tamil Nadu “Numero Uno” among Indian states with high growth trajectory and to secure for all its people the benefits of rapid economic growth.To achieve this, Hon’ble Chief Minister has taken farsighted and innovative decisions ,for overall development of the State. One among them is State Express and other Transport Corporations of Tamil Nadu to connect all parts of Tamil Nadu with Neighboring States and serve the passengers by providing good amenities. 

· TAMIL NADU STATE TRANSPORT CORPORATIONS’ BUSES provide one of the most affordable public transports with around 21207 Buses covering 88.44 lakh kilo meters and carrying 2.10 Crore passengers daily. It operates long distance Express Services throughout the State of Tamil Nadu linking all important capital cities, historical, religious and commercial places etc. and adjoining states like Andhra Pradesh Karnataka, Kerala and Pudhucherry. The Corporation operates Semi-deluxe, Super deluxe, Video Coach, and Air condition buses to cater to the needs of all sections of travelling public. 

· In India’s passenger road transport sector, STATE EXPRESS TRANSPORT CORPORATION TAMILNADU LIMITED is setting benchmarks in a large number of operational areas. Its large objective is to adopt efficiency in its day-to-day activities and bring the best to long distance passengers’ needs. State Express Transport Corporation Ltd., is taking several effective steps to improve its service to cater to the needs of the travelling public and to provide better comfort, safe, quick and reliable service. For the better convenience to the passengers’ long distance buses during the journey are stopping at enroute at Motels. The Motels with modernized kitchens and dining halls provide hygienic food and snacks at reasonable prices and also ensure improved sanitary facilities. This will be very convenient for the passengers to take break and freshen up.

1. However, the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporations’ buses are also stopping at private hotels outside Cities / Towns Here, even during midnight, the hotel staffs wake up the sleeping passengers to inform them that the buses will stop there for ½ hour or so and they may take coffee, Tiffin etc. Further, music systems there play cinema songs at high decibel levels. These disturbances spoil the sleep of the travelling public who has to attend to office or some important work at their destination on the next day. 

2. In these Hotels, Price list is either not placed or not prominently placed. The Hotels’ serve unhygenically prepared and adulterant food which are unsafe and substandard resulting in food poisoning to the consumers. The food items are also sold at exorbitant prices. In the nearby stalls, packed food items are sold above the maximum retail price in violation of MRP Act and Packaged commodities Act. The wrappers of food items sold are without mandatory information in violation of Packaged Commodities Act. Spurious food items of Biscuits, soft drinks bottles / packets with slight differences in popular brand names (misbranded names/ Extraneous matters) are being sold because of huge floating population. These bottled / pocketed soft drinks are said to be highly sub standard and are prepared in most unhygienic conditions. They do not follow mandatory label procedures.

3. In these places, the public sanitary facilities are not maintained well and travelling public are charged up to Rs.5 

In view of the above, ABGP –As a responsible All India Consumer Movement, requests The Honourable Chief Minister, who is taking paramount care of the citizens’ welfare and working for the all round development of Tamil Nadu , to consider the following and pass appropriate orders.

A) To open Way side Motels like the one at Mamandoor (Villupuram Zone Control) with around 75 Kms distance in all SETC bus Routes. Women Self Help Groups / Self Help Groups may be encouraged and offered all assistance to run such Motels. This will empower the Women and the area will get the benefits.

B) Such Motels to serve hygienically prepared quality foods at reasonable price and separate Motels should be there for Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian foods.

C) To ensure provision of well maintained sanitary facilities at these places free of cost. This facility will discourage passengers to cross heavy traffic roads to go for nature’s call just to avoid paying charges for poorly maintained sanitary facilities, while they cross roads they meet with accidents. 

Thanking the Honourable Chief Minister,

Yours faithfully, 

M.N.Sundar M.K.Balasubramanian

Tamil Nadu Coordinator. National Council Member and Chennai Coordinator