Hyderabad: Visitors to Tank Bund and Necklace Road are being overcharged for snacks and ice-creams. It is common for the visitors to be charged more than the maximum retail price mentioned on the packaged labels.
Some vendors scrape off the price on the label; some products are sold without the MRP label. Mr Deepak Mohanty, a software engineer who went to Necklace Road to spend quality time with his family, had a difficult time bargaining with vendors as no MRP was mentioned on the cover.
He alleged, “These vendors are part of an organised loot. They are not willing to sell products on the MRP. I asked one of them to show me any product which had the MRP printed, he just shut his freezer and told me to go away.”
“There are many people who are fleeced by these vendors. Officials should regulate them and instruct them to not charge more than the MRP,” said Ms P. Hima-bindu, a social worker.
She said that the Union ministry of consumer affairs had barred any product from being excessively charged at airports, theatres or mal-ls. “Why can’t the state government regulate these vendors,” she said.
Vendors claimed they were employees and did not have any idea on the prices. They claimed they were told to sell the products at the price fixed by their employers.
Mr. Rajkumar, a vendor, said, “The cart belongs to a local politician who has got 8-10 bandis. We hand over our daily collection to him and all of us are paid a meagre salary.”
An official from the commercial tax department said, it was illegal to charge more than the MRP, or to rub off the label. “If they are selling local-made ice-creams then they are not liable. But branded products must be charged on MRP.”
