Role of Mumbai Grahak Panchayat in Consumer Welfare

Consumers form largest economic group in any country. In a developing economy like India, the market is flooded with wide variety of goods. Adulteration, duplicating, price cheating, inferior quality products are common practices in the market. Globalization has exposed consumers to glittering and colorful standard of living, that people in advanced countries enjoy. There is continuous conflict in a consumer's mind between desire prompted wants and need based requirements. The complex market today, creates confusion among consumers, while taking any decision.

Consumer organizations play crucial role in educating and protecting interest of consumers. The consumer movement in India has an established history. The consumer organizations have shown impressive growth quantitatively. Organizations which were formed between 1970 and 1980 were concerned with the problems of inflation, food adulteration and public distribution system. These consumer organizations served a useful purpose as a voluntary vigilance groups in market. Shortage in supply of essential commodities and unsatisfactory functioning of public distribution, led activists to form Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP) in 1975.

Today, MGP is perhaps the largest voluntary consumer organization in India. MGP established unique distribution model of daily household goods which is functional for last 38 years. Though, mission started with monthly distribution of essential goods, MGP is very active in imparting education and fighting for rights of consumers. The present paper is an attempt to study and analyze the unique distribution model and also to unfold the factors responsible for success of consistent growth of MGP.

Methodology: Primary and Secondary Data.