A recent order of the Bombay High Court has chastised the government and importers for not strictly implementing the printing of the statutory warning on cigarette packages
A recent order of the Bombay High Court has chastised the government and importers for not strictly implementing the printing of the statutory warning on cigarette packages, which states: ‘Cigarette smoking is injurious to health’.
Though consumers as a whole will welcome this judgment, another violation of statutory provisions seems to have conveniently been given the go-by, thanks to a court injunction from the Supreme Court. The Standard of Weights & Measures Act 1976 and the Standard of Weights & Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 1977 mandates that every packaged item should carry a maximum retail price (MRP). Despite this, the rules are being violated by retailers and dealers. The Department of Legal Metrology is either rendered impotent or kept at bay by the stay order of the Supreme Court.
Kirit M. has a bitter story to tell about his experience with MRP related issues.
Recently, he stopped his taxi some distance away from the airport and bought a mineral water bottle for Rs15. An hour later he was forced to buy another bottle of the same brand within the airport - for Rs30. When he protested, he was told that this was the standard rate at all selling points within the airport, which he found to be true after checking.
The consumer had been cheated at both places where he bought the drinking water.
Closer inspection of the bottles revealed that the MRP marked on both of them was Rs12 per bottle. The dealer outside the airport justified the increased price saying that the balance is for ‘cooling and storing charges’ and the dealer at the airport said that airport rentals for stalls were very high.
On similar grounds, five star hotels had approached the Supreme Court over a decade ago asking for a stay on the rules for MRP applied to them. The SC admitted their petition and granted a stay.
Consequently, officers of the Legal Metrology Department find that well-advised hi-fi places flaunt the order and prevent them from selling goods at MRP rates whereas lower grade outlets are coerced by the same officers to sell at MRP by threatening legal action.
What is needed right now is an urgent appeal to the SC to dispose off the case with the right guidelines on how to implement the MRP scheme.
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