New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) Delhi’s Legal Metrology Department conducted 10 surprise inspections at grocery shops across the city and initiated six prosecution actions against defaulting retailers and manufacturing companies totaling more than Rs 1 lakh.
Acting swiftly on complaints of overpricing in Old Delhi areas, Food and Civil Supplies minister Imran Hussain had sent enforcement teams of Legal Metrology Department to visit the area for checking the instances of violation of Packaged Commodity Rules (PCRs) and overcharging, if any, by retailers, shopkeepers, chemists, manufacturers and traders, especially with the regard to the sale of various essential commodities.
The team found instances of violations of PCRs by retailers in S.N. Market, Lahori Gate market where the retailers were found stocking some packed items not showing MRP, packed items containing mandatory declarations on stickers in violation of PCRs, certain packed commodities not having Customer Care Number printed on them, among others.
The teams conducted 10 surprise inspections of ‘kirana’ (grocery) shops and found instances of violations.
“Six prosecution actions against defaulting retailers and manufacturing companies total amounting to more than Rs 1 lakh has been initiated,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Packaged Commodity Rules prescribe requirement of printing of mandatory declarations on the packaged commodities — the name and address of the manufacturer/packer/ importer, the common name of the product in the package, the net quantity, month and year of manufacturing or pre-packing, MRP (inclusive of all taxes) and name, address, telephone number of the person who can be contacted by the consumer in case of a complaint.
Failure to comply with PCRs renders the retailer or manufacturer or trader liable for prosecution action under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011.
The minister appealed to the retailers, traders, manufacturers to scrupulously comply with provisions of the Packaged Commodity Rules and desist from overcharging for the packed commodities, for the benefit of consumers and join hands with government in the fight against the health crisis due to coronavirus.
He also appealed to the citizens to bring into the notice of the Legal Metrology Department any instance of overcharging of packed commodities and also of violations of Packed Commodity Rules.
–IANS
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