NASHIK, May 16: The Maharashtra State Consumer Protection Council has urged the Manohar Joshi government to make public the production cost of essential commodities, to prevent fleecing of consumers by manufacturers.

Addressing a press meet here today, the vice-president of the council and chairman of the high-level committee on consumer rights, Bindumadhav Joshi, said that a resolution had been moved in the council this week, urging the government to publish the production costs of essential commodities. This could be done through a census of manufacturing units.

r¬Ut›4C¼Tt›stay on April 24. However, hours after Shinde obtained the stay, some BJP corporators obtained a stay from additional sessions judge Subhash Deshmukh, clearing the way for the committee's meeting to elect its chairman.

Subsequently, the committee elected Balasaheb Aher as its chairman on April 25, with Congress members boycotting the meeting.

The gesture of judge Deshmukh irked the Nashik Bar Association, which resolved to boycott Deshmukh's court and demanded an inquiry against him. Deshmukh was then transferred.

Earlier this week, judge S D Mohod, declared Deshmukh's stay orders as null and void on grounds of violation of jurisdiction and directed the complainants to approach the high court. The court, however, was silent on the legal standing of the committee. The latest court decision has cast a shadow on the future of Aher as the chairman.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.