Officials of the Telangana Legal Metrology department conducted raids on four major malls in Hyderabad and registered over 100 cases against various outlets for violating the rules. Officials also seized goods and property worth Rs 72 lakh.
According to media reports, four teams raided shopping malls at Banjara Hills, Kukatpally, Madhapur and Punjagutta, which included the GVK Mall, Forum Sujana Mall, Inorbit Mall and Hyderabad Central
The officials booked 30 cases of violations at Inorbit Malland seized goods worth Rs 52 lakh, while goods worth Rs 15 lakh were seized from Hyderabad Central, where 40 cases were registered, DC reported.
15 cases were registered at Forum Sujana Mall and goods worth Rs 90,000 were seized while officials seized goods worth Rs 3.4 lakh from GVK Mall and registered 17 cases against the outlets.
The officials registered cases where they found violation of regulations such as failing to display all the mandated details about the products being sold, and selling a product above the maximum retail price (MRP).
They said that the raids were conducted after they received several complaints of outlets at malls violating the rules.
In November last year, the department undertook a special drive across the state following complaints of misuse of Goods and Services Tax (GST) and fined over 1,000 outlets.
“As many as 1,062 cases have been booked till now and Rs 10.62 lakh penalty has been imposed. Charging GST on MRP, non-GST items and selling at a higher rate have been reported in these raids. In last six days Legal, Metrology Department conducted more than 5,000 raids and made special and detailed checks in malls, multiplexes, star hotels, restaurants, bars, sweet houses and other business points,” Commissioner for Civil Supplies, Legal and Metrology Controller CV Anand told mediapersons at the time.
The Telangana Legal Metrology Department also said that any consumers who felt that the rules were violated could lodge a complaint with a separate grievance cell on WhatsApp number 7330774444 or lodge a complaint through e-mail to clm-ts@nic.in.