Enforce accountability
Consumer alert
By M.R. Pai

THERE is an interesting incident about Jawahar- lal Nehru as Prime Minister and a humble railway gate watchman. Just as the Prime Minister’s cavalcade approached a railway gate, it was closed by the watchman who had received the signal from the station master. Although the leader of the Prime Minister’s entourage asked the watchman to open the gate, saying that the Prime Minister was in the cavalcade, he refused. When the Prime Minister asked what the matter was, he was told about the gate watchman’s adamant attitude. The true democrat that Nehru was, he said that the railway employee was only doing his duty and the cavalcade should wait for the train to pass by. Subsequently, when someone asked the railway watchman, "Did you not recognise the Prime Minister?", he replied, "I recognise only the station master".

The humble watchman knew the basic mantra, "accountability".

Consumers in India are demanding accountability from Government offices, public, private and cooperative sector vendors, and everyone who sells them some product or service. It is the basic right of the consumer. Because the consumer has not insisted on accountability, he/she has been loaded with shoddy goods, poor after-sales service, and inefficient or lukewarm service.

The law, however, has always been on the side of the consumer. It is time that the consumer became assertive and took the help of law to enforce total accountability on the part of vendors of goods and services. To give a few instances of how this can be done:

Many of us use taxis and autorickshaws. In many cities, they are a law unto themselves. The meter fares are never honoured, and passengers are forced to cough up fancy fares especially from railway stations and bus stands. Or, during rush hours they refuse to ply even from stands unless they are pleased to take you in the direction of their own destination.

The rules are clear: From a designated auto or taxi stand, they cannot refuse to take a passenger. If the meter flag is up, then they cannot refuse to accept a passenger. They cannot charge more than the metered fare. They should carry a authorised conversion chart, if the fares have been revised and meter fare has to be recalculated to new tariff. If there is any violation, the matter should be reported in writing to the Regional Transport Office, giving all details. But how many people take the trouble to do so?

Because people suffer in silence, except writing an occasional letter to the editor of some newspaper, the exploitation of the public continues. Politicians and bureaucrats on their own seldom act to protect public interest. Therefore, consumers have to fight their own battles and see that public welfare measures are enforced.

There are similar safeguards for passengers of railways — from zonal committees with public representatives to Railway Rates Tribunal. The Director-General of Civil Aviation, Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi 110023, can be approached when there is a breach of safety rules by airlines.

Even the humble city bus passengers can bring to heels the bus operators. For instance, city bus services have to halt only at designated stops (fixed, technically, after public hearings) and if they skip stops and pick up their favoured passengers between stops, the matter should be reported to RTO with details of the bus number, date and time, and place of offence. Other violations by them, such as safety norms, under the Motor Vehicles Act can also be reported to RTO.

Accountability in the case of phone services is also provided for. In the case of dead phones, Indian Telegraph Rule 412 puts the responsibility on the divisional engineer of the exchange. If, after due notice, the phone is not set right, then damages can be claimed from him as also the Department of Telecommunication (MTNL in case of Delhi and Mumbai).

As regards banks, the Reserve Bank of India is the regulating authority. If there is violation of interest payment, or other banking regulations (e.g., allocation of safe deposit lockers should be 80 per cent on first-come-first-served basis, each branch maintaining a list of applicants), the nearest branch of R.B.I. or its headquarters in Mumbai should be approached (Department of Banking Operations & Development, Reserve Bank of India, World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400005). For urban cooperative banks, the Urban Banks Department of Reserve Bank of India should be approached in its branches or in Mumbai at "Garment House", Dr. Annie Besant Road, Worli, Mumbai 400018.

In every sphere of economic activity, there is a provision for an authority for enforcing accountability. It is up to consumers to make use of them and enforce them.