State drive to check exorbitant food and beverage prices at Pune multiplexes fails to file any violation
NP Udamale, assistant controller, said that the department is checking only packed food products sold at maximum retail price (MRP) rates. As per the law, the department cannot check items that are sold lose
The state government’s promised drive against malls and multiplex managements for levying exorbitant rates on food items and food and beverage (F&B) remained cosmetic in nature as the authorities failed to find a single case in the last two days of the campaign.
Girish Bapat, food and civil supplies minister, issued a press statement that read “weight and measures department started the drive in Pune city and checked the prices of food items in multiplexes and cinema halls. The department had visited the City Pride Kothrud, Amanora Mall at Hadapasar and other multiplexes in the city and checking whether the cold drinks and bottled water are sold at higher prices”.
Bapat said that the weighing and measurement department has set up separate cell for addressing the complaints related to exorbitant prices at multiplexes and malls.
NP Udamale, assistant controller, said that the department is checking only packed food products sold at maximum retail price (MRP) rates. As per the law, the department cannot check items that are sold lose.
The government had also announced that citizens can carry food items from outside to theatres and multiplexes across the state, but it is also not happening on ground.
Recently, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), the Maharashtra government was asked why government is not regulating prices of food items sold at exorbitant rates inside movie theatres and multiplexes across the state.
Even the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers staged agitations in Pune city and slapped the manager of a multiplex for selling food items at higher rates. Against this background, during the assembly session at Nagpur, Bapat had announced to control the prices in multiplexes.