Lok Sabha Question No. 3031 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-21
Subject: Dual MRP Policy for Bottled Water
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH, RODMAL NAGAR, OM PRAKASH YADAV, JANARDAN MISHRA

## Government of India Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3031

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.03.2017

## DUAL MRP POLICY FOR BOTTLED WATER

3031.  SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH: SHRI NAGAR RODMAL:

SHRI OM PRAKASH YADAV: SHRI JANARDAN MISHRA:

## Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk/k vkSj lkoZtfud foRrj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the firms having dual MRP policy for bottled mineral water, beverages and packaged goods i.e. a higher MRP for the same product to be sold in Malls, Airports etc. if so, the details thereof and the action taken thereof;
- (b) whether the major manufacturers of bottled packaged water have sought some relief from the  Government  on  dual  MRP  and  if  so,  the  details  of  the  same  and  the  name  of  the companies involved in it;
- (c) whether  any  committee  has  been  constituted  for  redressal  of  complaints  received regarding goods being sold at prices exceeding the Maximum Retail Price and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the number of complaints received from the States including Madhya Pradesh and Bihar in this regard; and
- (e) whether  steps  have  been  taken  by  the  Government  for  the  redressal  of  the  complaints received and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h ¼Jh lh- vkj- pkS/kjh½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

- (a)    :  Yes,  it  has  come  to  the  notice  that  some  companies  are  having  dual  MRP  policy  for  bottled mineral water, beverages and packaged goods i.e. a higher MRP for the same product to be sold in Malls, Airports etc. Enforcement Authorities of the State Governments are competent for taking action against  these  firms,  as  the  Enforcement  of  Weights  and  Measures  Laws  is  done  by  the  State Government. Necessary advisories have been issued by the Central Government.
- (b)   : Question does not arise as action lies with the State Governments.
- (c)   : No Committee has been constituted for redressal of complaints received regarding goods being sold  at  prices  exceeding  the  Maximum  Retail  Price.  The  Legal  Metrology  (Packaged  Commodities) Rules, 2011 already provides that commodities in packaged form cannot be sold at a price higher than MRP,  at  all  retail  shops  including  railway  premises  and  airports  in  order  to  protect  the  interest  of consumers.  Monitoring  whether  the  commodities  are  being  sold  at  more  than  MRP  is  done  by  the enforcement authorities of the State Governments.
- (d)      :          The  total  number  of  complaints  received  during  the  last  three  years  for  the  violation  of Packaged Commodities Rules are placed at Annexure A .
- (e)  :        The  actions  have  been  taken  by  the  State  Governments  as  per  the  section  36  of  the  Legal Metrology Act, 2009 for the violations of the provisions of Act and Rules.

## STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3031 FOR 21.03.2017 REGARDING DUAL MRP POLICY FOR BOTTLED WATER.

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Cases Booked under the Packaged Commodities Rules as per information received from the States

|    | Name of State/Uts   | Decla ration   | 2013-14 short delivery   | MRP   | Decl aration   | 2014-15 short delivery   | MRP   | Decla ration   | 2015-16 short delivery   | MRP   |
|----|---------------------|----------------|--------------------------|-------|----------------|--------------------------|-------|----------------|--------------------------|-------|
| 1  | A &NIslands         | NA             | NA                       | 2     | NA             | NA                       | 6     | NA             | NA                       | 6     |
| 2  | Andhra Pradesh      | 3833           | 0                        | 1315  | 8277           | 0                        | 410   | 8273           | 14                       | 531   |
| 3  | Arunachal Pradesh   | 29             | 0                        | 15    | 54             | 0                        | 5     | 95             | 0                        | 28    |
| 4  | Assam               | 169            | 0                        | 4     | 243            | 2                        | 14    | 217            | 0                        | 1     |
| 5  | Bihar               | 0              | NA                       | NA    | 1              | NA                       | NA    | 1              | NA                       | NA    |
| 6  | Chhatisgarh         | 20             | 0                        | 8     | 98             | 3                        | 9     | 167            | 14                       | 8     |
| 7  | Daman &Diu          | NA             | NA                       | NA    | NA             | NA                       | NA    | 21             | 6                        | NA    |
| 8  | Delhi               | 957            | 2                        | 61    | 1871           | 11                       | 72    | 1781           | 9                        | 32    |
| 9  | Goa                 | 104            | 2                        | 43    | 141            | 9                        | 99    | 109            | 12                       | 18    |
| 10 | Gujarat             | 1489           | 62                       | 1118  | 76             | 27                       | 680   | 46             | 8                        | 571   |
| 11 | Haryana             | 245            | 75                       | 50    | 135            | 53                       | 25    | 65             | 47                       | 19    |
| 12 | Himachal Pradesh    | 235            | 2                        | 54    | 269            | 0                        | 179   | 175            | 6                        | 179   |
| 13 | J&K                 | 528            | 45                       | 112   | 471            | 36                       | 117   | 328            | 82                       | 46    |
| 14 | Jharkhand           | 1              | 3                        |       | NA             | 1                        | NA    | 40             | NA                       | NA    |
| 15 | Karnataka           | 2942           | 41                       | 432   | 3682           | 61                       | 915   | 8701           | 6                        | 1191  |
| 16 | Kerala              | 2986           | 880                      | 323   | 2627           | 684                      | 339   | 2598           | 681                      | 304   |
| 17 | Lakshadweep         | 0              | 0                        | 0     | 0              | 0                        | 0     | 0              | 0                        | 0     |
| 18 | Madhya Pradesh      | 596            | 28                       | 19    | 721            | 16                       | 49    | 1623           | 88                       | NA    |
| 19 | Maharashtra         | 7311           | 424                      | 1018  | 7358           | 345                      | 1163  | 2952           | 261                      | 1544  |
| 20 | Manipur             | 6              | 0                        | 0     | 6              | 0                        | 0     | 1              | 0                        | 1     |
| 21 | Meghalaya           | 62             | 0                        | 14    | 41             | 0                        | 4     | 51             | 0                        | 25    |
| 22 | Nagaland            | 121            | 1                        | 1     | 148            | 1                        | 4     | 167            | NA                       | 1     |
| 23 | Odisha              | 195            | 14                       | 6     | 251            | 15                       | 35    | 130            | 40                       | 93    |
| 24 | Puducherry          | 5              | 0                        | 3     | 4              | 0                        | 0     | 5              | 0                        | 1     |
| 25 | Punjab              | 718            | 86                       | 24    | 567            | 74                       | 43    | 602            | 73                       | 29    |
| 26 | Rajasthan           | 501            | 2                        | 34    | 288            | 1                        | 25    | 58             |                          | 6     |
| 27 | Tamil Nadu          | 2880           | 4262                     | 129   | 4105           | 6278                     | 164   | 3387           | 4138                     | 365   |
| 28 | Telengana           | 7475           | NA                       | NA    | 5625           | NA                       | NA    | 4644           | NA                       | NA    |
| 29 | Tripura             | 113            | 2                        | 1     | 74             | 1                        | 0     | 29             | 0                        | 0     |
| 30 | Uttar Pradesh       | 1927           | 610                      | 300   | 2371           | 498                      | 260   | 1923           | 520                      | 311   |
| 31 | Uttrakhand          | 12             | 5                        | 2     | 37             | 9                        | 20    | 62             | 8                        | 62    |
| 32 | West Bengal         | 83             | NA                       | NA    | 154            | NA                       | NA    | 147            | NA                       | NA    |
|    | Total               | 35460          | 6546                     | 5088  | 39541          | 8125                     | 4637  | 38251          | 6013                     | 5372  |