The Statue of Equality in Telangana has been booked by the Department of Legal Metrology, following a complaint from a consumer that the ‘prasadam’ packets being sold at the establishment did not show the weight, manufacturing date, expiry date and quantity of the product. The Statue of Equality is a 216-foot statue of Ramanujacharya, an 11th-century saint. It is located in a 45-acre complex near Shamshabad, on the premises of the Chinna Jeeyar Trust at Muchintal, Ranga Reddy district.
Earlier on May 26, the complainant Vinay Vangala had complained to the Department of Legal Metrology against the Statue of Equality establishment, for not displaying the weight, manufacturing and expiry dates, and quantity provided, in the prasadam packets. Based on the complaint, the Assistant Controller of Legal Metrology, Ranga Reddy Zone, said in an action taken report submitted to the Controller, Legal Metrology, Telangana on June 21, that a case has been registered.
The official said that based on the complaint, the District Legal Metrology Officer of Ranga Reddy - Shamshabad district inspected the premises of the Statue of Equality establishment on June 20. Based on the inspections, a case has been registered for violation of sections 10 (use of weight or measure for particular purposes), 11 (prohibition of quotation, etc., otherwise than in terms of standard units of weight, measure or numeration), 12 (any custom, usage, etc., contrary to standard weight, measure or numeration to be void) and 8/25 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009.
The Statue of Equality was unveiled and dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 5. The entry pass to visit the establishment is priced at Rs 200 for adults and Rs 125 for children. When asked about Chinna Jeeyar Swamy’s organisation charging an entry fee, the seer said that the charge was for maintaining the area where other activities also happen. “Unless you keep some entry fee, it's hard to control the crowd. Such places usually have entry rates in thousands of rupees, but we have kept a nominal fee for its maintenance,” the seer had said.