Monthly Archives: June 2018

Appeal to save 417 human lives daily, by Making Road Safety a National Priority

~India stands 2nd highest globally in terms of people killed in road accidents~

New Delhi, June 19th, 2018: With a basic aim to save human lives on road, Consumer Voice – a pioneer consumer protection group today organized a workshop to appeal Making Road Safety a National Priority. The initiative focused on the 30 year old Motor Vehicles Act 1988 which require immediate amendment to address tremendous changes in the road safety scenario in India. Led by Member of Parliament, Shri Parvesh Verma, road crashes victims and their families members, Civil Society Organizations, Member of Parliament and partner organizations of road safety coalition highlighted the terrible state of road safety in our country. The participants jointly signed a memorandum to Honble Prime Minister, Honble Vice President, Honble President and Honble Chief Justice of India to make Road Safety as National Priority. The initiative was supported by Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Member of Parliament, Shri Abhay Damle, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways highlighted the provisions of the MVA 2017 Bill. Para Olympian, Jagwinder Singh and Singer Kalpana Chauhan along with over 20 victims from across India. Number of people killed in road accidents in India is 2nd highest globally, which is almost 1.5 lakhs per year. This translates into 17 people dying every hour. Another 5 lakhs are seriously injured in road crashes. Road crashes account for more than 44% of all un-natural accidental deaths in India and 51% of all those killed between the ages of 18 and 30.India is signatory to the Brasilia Declaration, thus making a commitment to itself and to the world that it shall reduce death and injury from road crashes by half by 2020. Shri Parvesh Verma, Member of Parliament, stated, “I am the victim and faced the same situation like any other survivor present at the national event on road safety. As you know, my father (Former Chief Minister of Delhi Shri Sahib Singh Verma Ji) lost his life in a tragic road crash. Each and every life is important and we must do everything possible to save. Our Government under leadership of Modi Ji is trying its best for road safety and I am sure that the proposed Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill will strengthen the road safety situation in India. I am joining road crash survivors to appeal our Honble Prime Minister to make road safety as a national priority and get the MVA Bill passed on priority.In the year 1988 total population of India was 83 Crores and in 2017 it was 132 crores. Number of road accident fatalities were 49,218 in 1988 and in the year 2017 road accident fatalities were 1,46,377 but we have same Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 despite tremendous changes in road safety scenario.Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ashim Sanyal COO, Consumer VOICE, said, Every crash leaves an indelible scar on the family and the community, but the daily crashes are making society numb and reducing these to just statistics. We have therefore brought together survivors of horrific road crashes and their families to tell their tales along with civil society organizations to join together in our appeal. About Consumer Voice: Voluntary Organisation in Interest of Consumer Education (VOICE) is a pioneer consumer protection group (NGO) based in New Delhi working for consumer-education, a champion of Consumer interests & issues since 1983. Over years VOICE has been representing and protecting consumer interests with at national level with its network partners.

निवेश कुंभ में उमड़े चण्डीगढ़वासी

शार्ट टर्म गेन की बजाए लंबी अवधि के निवेशों पर ही ध्यान देना चाहिए – के एस राव

चण्डीगढ़।9 जून
निवेशकों को जागरूक करने के लिए सेबी द्वारा मान्यता प्राप्त इन्वेस्टर्स एसोसिएशन्स ने आज चंडीगढ़ पी जी आई के भार्गव ऑडिटोरियम में निवेश कुंभ आयोजन हुआ । यह आयोजन सिटिजंस अवेयरनेस ग्रुप, चंडीगढ़ के सहयोग से आयोजित किया जा रहा था ,जिसमें वित्त विशेषज्ञ आम निवेशकों को वित्तिय निवेश के गुण बांट रहे थे ,
धीरेंद्र सिंह सी ई ओ वैल्यू रिसर्च ने मौजूद निवेशकों की जिज्ञासाओं का निवारण भी किया ,
के एस राव हेड इन्वेस्ट र एडुकेशन ने बताया कि नए निवेशकों के लिए म्यूच्यूअल फण्ड उपयुक्त है और हमें शार्ट टर्म गेन की बजाए लंबी अवधि के निवेशों पर ही ध्यान देना चाहिए ,
सुरिंदर वर्मा सिटीजन अवेयरनेस ग्रुप ने सभी पैनलिस्ट को मोमेंटो देकर सम्मानित किया ,वैसे म्यूचुअल फंड के जरिए सिर्फ इक्विटी या शेयर बाजार में ही नहीं, बल्कि डेट, गोल्ड और कमोडिटी में भी पैसे लगाए जा सकते हैं. लेकिन अगर आपको शेयर बाजार की ज्यादा समझ नहीं है या आप इसमें लगाए गए अपने पैसे की निगरानी के लिए वक्त नहीं निकाल सकते, तो म्यूचुअल फंड निश्चित तौर पर आपके लिए बेहतर माध्यम है,
सबसे पहले तो आपको ये तय करना है कि आपके निवेश का मकसद क्या है, आप कितना निवेश कर सकते हैं और कितने समय के लिए इसमें बने रह सकते हैं. अगर आपको साल-दो साल के लिए निवेश करना है, तो उसके लिए अलग म्यूचुअल फंड होंगे. अगर आपको 5, 7, 10 साल या इससे भी ज्यादा समय के लिए निवेश करना है, तो उसके लिए दूसरे म्यूचुअल फंड होंगे.

Citizens Awareness Group Chandigarh and Consumer VOICE Delhi organised a seminar on ” Tabacco breaks heart ” Choose health not Tobacco at Mohali. Sh Balbir Singh Sidhu Minister labour and animal husbandry was chief guest .

Citizens Awareness Group Chandigarh and Consumer VOICE Delhi organised a seminar on ” Tabacco breaks heart ” Choose health not Tobacco at Mohali. Sh Balbir Singh Sidhu Minister labour and animal husbandry was chief guest .

Experts deliberate on ill-effects of tobacco at seminar on World No Tobacco Day

To commemorate the World No Tobacco Day, Citizens Awareness Group, a local NGO in collaboration with Consumer VOICE, a Delhi based NGO, organised a seminar at Hotel Mirage in Sector 70 here. The seminar involved experts and local authorities who deliberated on ill-effects of tobacco and growing consumption in Punjab. Balbir Singh Sidhu, Punjab Labour Minister was the chief guest.Surinder Verma, Chairman, Citizens Awareness Group, while giving the opening remarks said every year this day reminds us of the need to spread awareness on the ill-effects of tobacco. While welcoming the delegates he said, it was indeed a pleasure to have experts and senior government functionaries here to deliberate on the issue.

Balbir Singh Sidhu, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Labour Minister while addressing the audiencesaid, NGO have an important role in taking forward such causes and NGOs must go to the rural areas and spread awareness in places where there is zero literacy. He said this section of people need a lot of awareness.

Sidhu said while the government is also working towards discouraging the population on tobacco consumption but with NGOs it can be worked out effectively. He said steps are being taken for the new generation, adding that situation in Punjab was much better as compared to other states.

The Minister said most patients are reported in the hospitals only after they have been affected with cancer and this is an issue of deep concern. He said Punjab government will extend full support to those working towards curbing the menace. He lauded the efforts made by Citizens Awareness Group and Consumer VOICE in taking up the issue.

Dr Ashish Arora, Consultant Internal Medicine, Paras Bliss Hospital, Panchkula said, “Tobacco chewing and smoking is a major modifiable health risk factor. It is responsible for oral diseases including oral and gastrointestinal cancers, precancerous conditions, pulmonary disease, cardiovascular diseases, stroke. Smoking and tobacco use (in other forms) leads to premature deaths because of various diseases caused by its use. Tobacco products contain many harmful chemicals including nicotine, carbon monoxide, tar.

Dr. Rajendra P Setty, Senior Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterology, Paras Bliss Hospital, Panchkula said, Tobacco addiction is very difficult to get rid of and is one of the leading cause of death. Smoking can increase the risks of cardiovascular diseases, reproductive problems, dental diseases, cancer in lungs, throat, stomach, mouth and pancreas. Exposure to second hand smoke (passive smoking) is an issue of concern for families of smokers.

Addressing the audience Ekta Purohit Manager Projects & CSR for the Voluntary Organisation in Interest of Consumer Education (VOICE) said that the GATS 2017 data shows increasing in tobacco consumption in the state Punjab. About 13.6 percent of men, 0.4 percent of women and 7.3 percent of all adults currently smoke tobacco in Punjab. The prevalence of any tobacco use has increased from11.7 percent in GATS 1-(2010) to 13.4 in GATS 2 in 2017.This indicates need of more stringency of the provisions of the COTPA Act.

Rita Bhardwaj, Chief Medical Officer, spoke on the measures being taken to curb the menace and also shared details on cancer cases being reported at government hospitals. She said S.A.S. Nagar has been declared smoke-free and will soon be made tobacco-free. She said this was only possible with support from people and there was a need for awareness as it was indeed a matter of concern that number of deaths due to tobacco consumption is on the rise.