Cong wakes up to consumer rights, sets up special cells

MUMBAI: Having faced severe criticism for ignoring price hikes of essential commodities and consumer rights, the Congress has asked its state units to set up bodies to address issues related to common man.

Following the directive, the state Congress unit has created special cells to deal with consumer protection, market, industry and commerce. Interestingly, the person entrusted with the responsibility to act as a co-ordinator of these cells is a former Shiv Sena MLC — Kanhaiyalal Gidwani.

Incidentally, Mr Gidwani is the second politician after Narayan Rane to have been given significant responsibility after defecting to the Congress from the Sena. Others, including former Sena MP Sanjay Nirupam, have been waiting to be rehabilitated after joining the Congress.

Much to the surprise of Congressmen, Mr Gidwani has been given the charge of this politically significant core group. However, it may be noted that Mr Gidwani had been heading the Shiv Sena’s essential commodity cell for quite some time.

“While in the Sena Mr Gidwani had levelled serious charges against many Congressmen over various issues, including price hike. It is surprising that the same person gets the same job even though the party is different,” a disgruntled Congress leader said.

Mr Gidwani, however, is unfazed by the criticism. “My appointment only shows that the party high command respects the sensitivity of the issue,” he says.

Mr Gidwani — once one of the country’s major sugar traders — came to fame after he exposed a series of tax evasions by the state’s sugar barons two years back. His exposure led to recovery of unpaid dues worth crores.

In the Congress now, Mr Gidwani, however, hopes to continue to do similar jobs. “My job will be to alert the party high command and the government about ill-intended, artificial fluctuations in the market,” he said. He also wants to keep tab on the futures trading which has come in for a sharp criticism of late.