30 BOOKED IN RAIDS AT EATING JOINTS ACROSS STATE

CHANDIGARH: Gross irregularities were found at eating joints at railway stations, bus stands and roadside “dhabas” during a two-day statewide raid operation conducted by the legal metrology wing of Punjab food and civil supplies department.

The teams of legal metrology inspectors and other staff detected gross irregularities such as obliteration of maximum retail price, overpricing and non standard weights and measures at several places, as per an official release.

As many as 149 inspections were conducted and 30 cases were registered under various provisions of the Legal Metrology Act and Rules, including 22 for overpricing and two for nondeclaration of mandatory details on packaged products such as the net contents, MRP, date of manufacture and expiry date, and six cases of non-verification, which is non-stamping of weights used to measure quantity of goods.

CHALLANS WORTH ₹2.47 LAKH ISSUED

A sum of ₹2.47 lakh was expected to be collected as compounding fee in the wake of the raids.

Punjab food minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said the raids were prompted by the rush of complaints regarding overcharging of water bottles and other packaged eatables at the bus stands and railway stations.

“The public should inform or lodge complaint for any such wrongdoing for the department to take action,” Ashu said.

The minister said the frequency of surprise inspections to check flouting of ruled by eating joints would be increased in future.

› The raids were prompted by the rush of complaints regarding overcharging of water bottles and other packaged eatables at bus stands and railway stations. BHARAT BHUSHAN ASHU, Punjab food and civil supplies minister