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Welfare Fund
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Guidelines For Grant of Financial Assistance Under
State Consumer Welfare Fund
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Background
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In pursuance of the decision taken by the Standing Committee of the Department of Consumer Affairs,
Government of India in its 22nd meeting held on 5.4.1999, the Government of India issued directives to the States and Union Territories
to set up their own Consumer Welfare Fund at the State level to assist Voluntary Consumer Organizations in undertaking publicity measures
and other activities relating to consumer protection.
Accordingly, a Welfare Fund is created for VCOs / Institutions / Organizations for promotion of consumer awareness and protection of Consumer Rights.
The fund will be operated by the Consumer Affairs Department OF THE GOVT. OF WEST BENGAL and shall be known as State Consumer Welfare Fund.
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Objective
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The overall objective of the State consumer Welfare Fund is to provide financial assistance to promote and protect
the interest and welfare of the consumers and strengthen the consumer movement in the State, more particularly in the rural areas.
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Procedure for
Applying for Financial
Assistance
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The applicant, who is desirous of seeking financial assistance from the State Consumer Welfare Fund, is required to
apply in the Form-WB-I (Annexure-I). The Application should be addressed to :-
The Secretary, Government of West Bengal
Consumer Affairs Department
11A, Mirza Ghalib Street
Kolkata – 700 087
The applicant should submit annual reports, audited statement of accounts for the last
three years separately for each year, annual activity reports for three years separately for each year.
Memorandum of association, regulations, list of members and such other information as are considered
necessary for the grant. In case of reputed organizations/institutions the Department may relax the
eligibility criteria. The audited statement of accounts of the organization must bear the registration
number and official stamp of the Chartered Accountant. Copies of all other documents required for the
applications must be attested by a gazetted officer.
Applications must be routed through the Regional offices of the CA&FBP Directorate and recommended by the
District Consumer Protection Council in the district and for Kolkata through regional offices of CA&FBP of
the respective region and recommended by the Kolkata Consumer Protection Council.
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Eligibility
Conditions
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Any agency/organization/Institution engaged in consumer welfare activities for a period of three years and registered
under the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956) or under any law considerable for the time being in force may apply. However, NGOs of repute in the State
with experience in other social welfare schemes may also be eligible to apply.
[N.B.- Preference will be given to the organizations having experience of statewide nature. In case, a group of organizations approach the Department
with a common project, one organization may function as a mother unit and it should not be necessary for all the participants to separately fulfill the
condition of three years.]
Panchayat Samity / Gram Panchayat level cooperatives of consumers specially of women, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes will be given preference.
Scheme on spreading consumer awareness through literature and audio-visual programmes sponsored by the State Government may also be brought under purview
of State Consumer Welfare Fund subject to financial limit of the grant.
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Extent of
Assistance
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The total quantum of assistance for an individual application shall not exceed Rs. 5.00 lakhs. Assistance will be limited to 90% of
the approved cost. In exceptional cases, however, 100% assistance may be considered. The quantum of assistance will be decided by the Standing Committee constituted by the State Government.
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Purpose
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The financial assistance will be extended, mainly for the following purposes :-
1. Production and distribution of literature and audio – visual materials for spreading consumer literacy and awareness
building programmes for consumer education;
2. Setting up of facilities for training and research in consumer education and related matters on regional basis;
3. Community based rural awareness projects;
4. Setting up of complaint handling/counseling/guidance mechanism like Consumer Guidance Bureau;
5. Setting up of Consumer Product Testing Laboratories;
6. Building up infra structural facilities for organizing consumer education activities on a permanent basis at the sub-
division, district and block levels;
7. The projects not covered by the above, but in the opinion of the Department for the purposes can tackle pressing
social problems and maximize consumer welfare.
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Component
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The following items may qualify for assistance:-
1. Only for non-recurring expenditure;
2. Purchase of equipments;
3. Purchase of office furniture;
4. Changes for delivery of services;
5. Other charges as may be considered necessary by the Department for the purpose to ensure proper implementation
of the programmes /projects. Construction of buildings and purchase of high value items of furniture and equipment and salary
of staff on recurring basis beyond the prescribed limit will not be covered under the scheme. However, it may be relaxed only
in case of laboratories set up under the scheme for purchase of testing equipments at the discretion of the Department.
[N.B. – Payment of salaries or wages of staff on recurring basis will not be considered as a general rule but appointment of some expert/professional staff as
integral part of the project may be considered in deserving cases for a limited period. Such expenditure should not, however, exceed 15% of the total project
cost and may be considered depending on nature of the project.]
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