Bangalore
Metrology dept seizes bottles of water,soft drinks for probe into illegal pricing.
Updated : Nov 21, 2013, 01:44 PM IST
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After this step by the legal metrology department, those, especially multiplex theaters in the city, who have been selling eatables and soft drinks for higher than the legally approved price, have to now think twice before exploiting their customers.
Three teams of officials from the Department of Legal Metrology conducted raids on various multiplex theaters in the city and well-known theaters on Kempegowda Road and seized samples of water bottles and soft drink bottles that were being sold at a higher selling price than the products available at maximum retail price (MRP), outside the theaters.
Aquafina water bottles were found priced at Rs40 at one of the multiplex theaters as against the Rs18 per bottle MRP at shops outside multiplex theaters and cinema theaters.
The price of Diet Pepsi was also found to be Rs50 as against the original MRP, Rs25.
It may be recalled that a few legislators had complained recently to the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, DN Jeevaraj about multiplex theaters exploiting consumers by selling water and soft drinks at exorbitant prices.
According to reliable sources, Minister Jeevaraj had then directed the Controller of Legal Metrology Department to look into the matter and take the necessary actions as per the law. Confirming the raids, Shivabasavaiah, Controller, Department of Legal Metrology said that he was focusing on backward investigations to find out whether the wholesale distributors or manufacturers of those goods paid the required tax as per the Section 4 of Central Excise Act.
“There is nothing wrong in selling commodities at a higher price provided the manufacturer or the wholesale distributor, who had supplied the products to the retailer, paid the tax on par with the selling price mentioned on the products. It is suspected that some of the manufacturers and wholesale distributors paid the tax on these products on par with the MRP and have then supplied these products to retailers by printing a higher price. Selling at increased prices while paying taxes for the MRP is an offence and that is what we are trying to control,” said Shivabasavaiah.
He also informed DNA that officials of legal metrology had seized 2,700 bags of Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers for not conforming with rules and regulations of Legal Metrology and that the court has now directed the company to pay Rs2crore as a penalty. “We have also seized 24 mobile phones manufactured by Apple for incorrect declaration about the products. We filed a case against the company and the court had directed it to pay a Rs2.5lakh penalty and also directed the legal metrology department to seize the goods,” he said.
@YMRCONNECT
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