ITC and corporate responsibility !!




Corporate responsibilities are minimum in India; so their liabilities! Giants like Uni Liver, Hind Lever here or the indigenous house of Birlas, Ambanis or Ruias do hardly anything to protect the consumer's interest. They enjoyed the monopoly in post independence scenario at aegis of Nehruvian government and ideology of mixed economy. The protectionism only helped them to garner maximum profits at the cost Indian consumers. Only recently we the Indian consumers are becoming bit quality conscious and consumer rights. That too they are still limited within the urban educated class. But judiciary remaining it its age old attitude; reigning errant business house is still a far cry! Very few are exceptional, to my opinion house of TATA s are so.

ITC the tobacco giant, originally branched out from British Tobacco; is one such company is still with colonial attitude. They were here as Indian subsidiary of BAT to make only profits selling their tobacco products and other business. Now having formed full fledged Indian company ITC they have entered into many fields, like agro, finance and hospitality. They already frustrated thousands of small investors with their ITC Classic going to dock. However one plus point to their credit , they returned the depositor's money honestly. In Indian scenario even that is great! The same happened with the other agro business, ITC Agro, frustrating their investors with their horrible mismanagement they sold the company to Conagra. Till now it appears they are doing well in their hospitality business and playing best with their primary business tobacco products.

However here too their corporate responsibility to their customers are non existent. The business in this sector is easy to run with addict customers. The pricing is a factor as and when government impose fresh tax. They are master in it , every time their established products are taxed further , they come out with new and encourage their customers to switch over.

A small segment of their customers are buyers of their age old Capstan Smoking Tobacco,for rolling their cigarettes or smoking through pipes. Come June every year , this tobacco pouch is vanished from retailers stocks. In Kolkata, where ITC has its head quarter, right on their nose they are sold at a premium. The attempts to draw company's notice fail to address the problem. The rolling papers for the same tobacco under the same brand name are always sold at a price more than double than its MRP! Ask any retailers; they cite their helplessness as they too buy at a higher price form the wholesalers! The tobacco, is smuggled out to Bangladesh in connivance with the company officials , some allege. What is evident the corporate responsibilities are the least important to this tobacco leviathan. And of course the Government machinery in our ' MERA BHARAT MAHAN' is defunct as ever!!


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इस ब्लॉग से लोकप्रिय पोस्ट

Had a Party last night?

Occasions offering family or friend’s get-together always used to be welcome events to me earlier but not so any more these days. I remember any occasion like marriage, thread-ceremony or any social party thrown for insignificant issues were awaited affairs for the D day. I used to get thrilled with the idea of meeting those whom I met years ago. It was matters of pleasure to find them again. No one bothered to ask what others are doing or how they are keeping. Just we were alive and had a chance to meet, that was enough. Meeting means going down the memory lanes, remembering some incidents or days we enjoyed or suffered together. The pains we felt at the time of parting was visible in eyes. Gone are those days!! I know not how many would share my view but now-a-days I feel lonesome in most of the get-togethers; may be this curse is prevailing in metros like Kolkata, Mumbai or Delhi . Where people seek business in pleasure and tend to remain in their own lobby for social or material
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At last I could talk to my Father !!

His face was as fresh as it used to be on any other morning after shave. Only difference it was dry not wet as usually face looks after shaving. The eyes were closed, the lips bore faint smile; as if he was enjoying a dream during his sleep. A close look would reveal; no, it was not freshly shaved countenance; the tiny gray hairs shoot out all over the face; as they look in the evening; long after you shave in the morning. Why the shaving is so important! Well no one ever remembers seeing him unshaved even if when he used to be sick for long time. That was he; my father; lying on the stretcher mounted on a vehicle that carries dead. This was his last journey on wheels. He preferred bicycle and was very fond of paddling up and down to the Railway factory where he worked for more than 35 years. I felt he would have been happy, could I arrange a cycle rickshaw for his last ride. In a city like Kolkata, you know it was difficult to arrange or in that matter it would been very difficult to
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Durga Puja

Down the memory lane, I do not remember when I was introduced to or encountered Devi Durga, the deity with her 'grown up' kids. However absence of her husband the Lord Shiva and her fighting posture, killing 'Mahisasurah' was bit disturbing. As her sons 'Ganesh' and ' Kartick' were seemingly strong and powerful. What came to our mind ,why she should fight whe both of her sons were present. They were supposed to be able enough to fight evil the 'Mahisasurah' and save their mother from embarrassment of knocking down the "Mahisasura' . Despite of this Goddess Durga was quite popular and welcome figure for us. In Bengali community, Goddess Durga becomes a part of our life ever since we are born. From our childhood to manhood, she remains our Goddess, bestowing her blessings for wealth, fame, beauty and power. At least they carried meaning for our generation or the older. I still remember, my mother cautioning me about the virgin young
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