Few drives are not enough: Consumers' Club demands strict actions to ensure food safety, curb price hike
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 26 2018: The Consumers' Club, Manipur has sought the attention of the Food Safety enforcers, weight and measurement, Department of Consumer Affairs and other related authorities of the Government to enforce strict rules and laws pertaining to various products including daily essential items sold in shops and stalls.

The Consumers' Club, Manipur in its statement released by its president T Phulchand Sharma today said that shops across the State needs to be regulated properly to encourage food safety/ safety of the products and fair transaction of business.

The consumers' club claimed that most of the kitchenwares/utensils and other electrical appliances brought in from Myanmar and others have no proper price tags/MRPs.

These items are sold at a price usually determined by the shopkeepers and wholesalers, it said.

The consumers' club alleged that kitchenware which cost just Rs 430 /500 are spiked and sold at around Rs 1,400/1,500 at shops in most of the bazars.

"Divya (2.8 It) which costs only Rs 595 is sold at around Rs 1,600," alleged the consumers' club.

Prices of similar products of different brands such as Elegend, Hotsun and Asian are found spiked at many shops, it alleged.

In such cases, the victims are the people/customers, said the club seeking strong regulations to curb such illegal price hikes.

The price hike, according to the Consumers' Club Manipur, usually happens around festival time.

Ningol Chakouba, Christmas and other festival are perfect time for the shopkeepers and other business establishments to earn few extra bucks, claimed the club.

It informed that it had carried out a survey at Imphal West, Imphal East and Kakching on the eve of Ningol Chakouba, following a warning it had issued to the shopkeepers not to hike prices during the festival.

Most of the vendors, hawkers and shops were found selling products/goods at higher price, alleged the club.

The weight and measures of all shops and related business establishments need to be regulated and monitored often, said the club and urged the departments concerned to strictly enforce the various rules and provisions to ease the consumers and ensure fair business transaction.

Few drives and investigations before festivals are not enough to ensure fair business transaction, said the club urging the departments concerned to slap proper penalty to the erring business operators/shopkeepers according to the law of the land.

Strict actions without any concession as per law can only deter such illegal practices and bring in a fair change in the market and economy of the State, said the club.

It also raised the issue of tobacco and urged Food Safety and other departments concerned to strictly enforced the 'no tobacco rule' of the land.

It also urged the authorities concerned and Agriculture Department to take up measures to counter price hike of agri products including fertilisers.

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