In order to ensure that customers visiting cinema halls are not fleeced, the Legal Metrology Organisation (LMO) recently wrote to the state Revenue Department to direct cinema halls to stop unfair practices.
The LMO had taken action against cinema halls for overcharging food products sold inside their premises. After this, cinema halls started selling loose products at very high prices. As a result, the agency has now suggested to the government to direct cinema halls to allow consumers to take their own food items and cold drinks inside auditoriums.
"Previously, all cinema halls were charging more than the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) mentioned on packaged items. For this, a number of cases were booked against them. After that, they had adopted the policy of dual MRPs to deceive consumers. They started having separate MRPs for items sold at cinema halls than the MRP otherwise declared at ordinary shops. It tended to be quite high," said an LMO official.
He added that this led the LMO to issue notices to such cinema halls and manufacturers/packers concerned of packaged commodities to stop the practice of dual MRP.
"As a result of sustained efforts by the LMO, the law has been changed by the central government and the practice of declaring dual MRPs had been restricted since January 2018. Now cinema halls have gone one step further to exploit the consumers. They have stopped selling packaged commodities and are selling loose products. For example, instead of a can of cold drink, they serve it in loose quantity by using fountains and fleecing customers," said Controller of LMO, Amitabh Gupta.
"To protect the interest of consumers cinema halls should abide with the MRP Rules and put packaged commodities at the counter and also allow outside food, cold drinks items to be taken by consumer inside cinema halls. You are requested to look into the matter and give directives to cinema halls owners to stop such unfair practice in the interest of consumers," the LMO letter stated.
