What’s the real MRP on that bottle of water?  

While a water bottle at some restaurants bears an MRP of Rs 50, the same carries a price tag of Rs 20 at ordinary stores & eateries.
A water bottle with its MRP been alligned at a shop in the city. (File photo | EPS)
A water bottle with its MRP been alligned at a shop in the city. (File photo | EPS)

HYDERABAD: The practice of having ‘dual MRP’ for the same product depending on where the product is sold is continuing in the city even after two major court orders against it. 
Some restaurants and hotels are selling mineral water bottles of well-known brands at ` 50 a bottle of litre although the same  bottle, bearing an MRP of ` 20, is sold at other establishments like grocery and general stores. 

Here is an example. A Kinley mineral water bottle, bearing MRP of ` 50, is being sold at Paradise Hotel. The bottle is billed at ` 42.37. But the same volume of Kinley water bottled carries an MRP tag of ` 20 and sold at the same rate at regular stores, grocery shopping portals and other places.When contacted, Gautam Gupta, CEO of Paradise Food Court Private Limited, said, “We have consulted our legal counsellors and they told us that the new law which prohibits dual MRP comes into effect only in January 2018. There are stocks of bottles with the MRP already printed on them which will be cleared before January 2018. Moreover, it is the manufacturer who prints the MRP on the bottles.” When the customer care number given on the Kinley water bottle was called, the blame was put on sellers. He said “MRP is higher for bottles sold at hotels as they provide services.” 

The Legal Metrology (Packaged  Commodities) Amendment Rules, 2017 passed in June this year prohibits the practice of dual MRP. However, it will come into effect on January 1, 2018. When contacted, a senior official of the legal metrology department said, “We are aware of the issue but we cannot register any cases because there is no law , at present which prohibits dual pricing.” 

However, Ashim Sanyal of Voluntary Organisation in Interest of Consumer Education says, “The ruling by National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission  (NCDRC) that there cannot be two MRPs can be used as a legal provision to register cases of dual MRP practice. The central government had written last year to the legal metrology department of all states to take action based on NCDRC ruling and protect consumers from exploitation.”

What consumer fora ruled and ordered

In February last year, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission imposed a fine of I5 lakh on Big Cinemas and Reliance Media-Works Ltd for selling mineral water bottle at a price higher than price of bottles sold outside the multiplex. In April this year, INOX was fined F5,000 on a similar issue by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-I, Hyderabad which also clearly stated that there cannot be two MRPs for the same bottle. It ruled that even the manufacturer had no right to fix different MRPs for bottles having same quantity of water. 
 

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