Shops engaged in job works looting people
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 25 2012:
Taking undue advantage of development in information technology, shops and cafes engaged in job works in the heart of Imphal city are allegedly charging the customers at their own discretion, with no authority to look into the matter.
The customers are charged by the shop and caf� owners at whatever rate they desire and the customers are even given cash memo, thus looting the public in broad day light.
When Hueiyen Lanpao conducted an investigation, it came to light that shops and cafes engaged in job works charged anywhere between Rs 10 and 15 for laminating a document, Rs 10 to 20 for typing an A4 size document and Rs 10 for transferring a scanned copy of an A4 size document in a pen drive.
These charges are fixed arbitrarily by the shops themselves without any authority.
At one time, an association reportedly formed by 4/5 shops and displayed the rates of the specific job works in the shops, which were fixed by themselves.
The association was not registered.
Had it been registered under the State Government, looting of the public would not have happened and the public would have had their work done at the rates approved by the government.
A customer, who came out from a shop engaged in job works, pointed out that even barbers have their own registered association and is charging the public for their work at the rate approved by the state government.
Without registering, an association cannot charge for the work rendered to the people at their own whims.
But this is happening in the state and there is no authority to check it.
A shopkeeper engaged in job work told Hueiyen Lanpao that the rate tends to be higher sometimes owing to the use of generator in executing the job work as there is no electricity.
"There are also customers who pleaded us to do the job work on some emergency ground saying that they will pay more.
So, the rate entirely depend on the customers", the shopkeeper added.