Monday 31 March 2008

Our area of activities- Consumer Activism

1. Helping consumers get their problems solved by mediation or legal action in Consumer Courts or Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices (MRTP) Commission, Delhi

2. Solving problems related to LPG, petrol and kerosene through its representatives on the Petroleum Advisory Committee.

3. Solving problems related to Railways through its representatives on the Railway Users Committee and Station Committee.

4. Organizing processions, dharnas and sathyagrahas to get more efficient services.

5. Arranging meeting between the public and service providers such as KERC, KSRTC, CHESCOM, Mysore City Corporation(MCC), Vani Vilas Water Works, MUDA, Police Commissioner, to solve consumer problems.

6. Interacting with all departments to help them provide better service.

Saturday 29 March 2008

Our area of activities- Consumer Education

1- Publications:

A- Own Kannada monthly newspaper "Grahaka Patrike" since Nov 1992. It is sent free to all members. It is also sent to various government departments, consumer organisations, rural associations, public libraries, consumer courts, newspapers, et all.

B- Annual magazine since 1990. It contains informative articles on various consumer and environmental issues by experts. Detailed instructions on how to use the Consumer Protection Act. Consumer Guide with the addresses and phone numbers of officials and instructions on how to use this information to get various consumer problems solved.

C- Books "Consumer Movement" both in Kannada and English, "Decline & Fall of Mysore: Who is Responsible?" both in Kannada and English, "Food Adulteration" in Kannada, Two editions, "India's Energy Crisis" (in English) & "Leadership Crisis in India" (in English) are sold at subsidized prices to spread awareness and "Traffic Rules" distributed free to Traffic Police.

2- Newspaper articles, letters to editor.

3- Workshops on consumer awareness.

4- Food adulteration demonstration- exhibitions (More than 1400 held to date)

5- Radio and TV appearances and radio programmes to spread consumer awareness.

Our area of activities- Civic Litigation

1. Won a case in the local court to demolish an illegal building built by City Corporation in Cheluvamba Park.

2. Won a case in the High Court to prevent illegal land use conversion in Gokulam extension.

3. Based on MGP complaint, the Lokayukta has indicted 8 senior officials of Mysore Urban Development Authority for maladministration.

4. Cases are pending before local court, High Court, Supreme Court and Lokayukta on various civic and environmental issues.

Friday 28 March 2008

Our area of activities- Civic Activism

1. Members running self-sustained programmes to clear garbage in 6 different localities in Mysore.

2. Conducting surveys such as the one on private nursing homes in Mysore.

3. Conducting studies on topics such as kerosene supply and demand, traffic patterns in the streets of Mysore.

4. Suggesting effective schemes such as the kerosene coupon system, helping in formulating tax structures such as water tax and property tax.

5. Helping to provide civic amenities to new localities.

6. Donating banners and traffic signs used by traffic police.

7. Helping Corporation, MUDA and Police authorities in planning and monitoring ADB funded works in Mysore.

Wednesday 26 March 2008

About Us

Founded by Dr.H.A.B.Parpia, Dr.Bhamy V.Shenoy, S.V.Vasudha, A.K.Ranganathan, D.K.Ranganathan, V.Gurusankar & K.S.V.Baliga, MGP- Mysore Grahaka Parishat- was registered on 2-2-89 and the very first meeting was held on 15-3-89.

It was initially purely a consumer organization. But when PARISARA, an environmental organization started at the same time ran into difficulties, MGP, under Bhamy V.Shenoy and S.K.Anandathirtha took on environmental work also. The Constitution of MGP was amended in 1999 to expressly expand its domain of operation to consumer, environmental and civic issues.

As of 31.03.2007, MGP had 659 members -642 life members and 17 annual members-its President being Maj Gen (Retd) S G Vombatkere and secretary Sreemati Hariprasad.

Update: Now (as on 31.03.2012) there are 720 members- 679 life members and 41 annual members.