CHENNAI: Marina Beach and Elliot’s Beach are popular family hangouts, especially during the summer. But if you think they’re an affordable alternative to expensive malls, you’re in for a rude shock. All food and drink items on both beaches are sold above Maximum Retail Price (MRP).Customers are charged Rs 5 extra for a bottle of water or a packet of chips. A pack of cigarettes also costs Rs 5 more and a single cigarette costs `2 more than its actual price. A shopkeeper bluntly says, “That is just how it is here.” Ice cream vendors along the Marina charge Rs 5 extra on each ice cream. While the actual cost of the popular ones is just Rs 5, customers have to pay twice the amount for one. The same happens at Elliot’s beach, Besant Nagar. It is said that the ice cream carts are taken on contract and the vendors invest in the ice cream. One of the vendors says, “We charge Rs 5 extra to meet the loss for the melting ice candies.The loss is borne by us, not the contractor.” However, this is not an isolated case. Visitors to any popular public hangouts are subject to paying more than the MRP. Kumar, a customer on the beach, says, “Charging over the MRP is an offense for which the dealer can be punished. But rather than facing the hassle of going to the consumer court and rectifying the situation, people grumble and pay the extra money.” Section 4A of the Weights and Measures Act defines retail sale price as “the maximum price at which the excisable goods in packaged form may be sold to the ultimate consumer and includes all taxes.” But these practices are in violation of the prescribed code. It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs is to ensure that such malpractices do not occur.If you find that any shop is over charging, you should first highlight it to the shopkeeper.If the latter insists on charging the same amount, you can insist on a bill and bring it to the attention of the Department of Legal Metrology. The Inspector of Labour will follow up on the complaint. You can also go to the consumer court.Speaking about a personal experience in which she had been charged Rs 10 extra for a pack of ice cream, Saroja of Consumer Awareness Group (CAG), says, “The man claimed that the extra money was to cover the cost of cooling. He should not sell ice cream if he cannot pay for the cooling.” As per the Consumer Protection Act, violators can get a one-month long jail sentence or pay a fine up to Rs 10,000.
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