Hyderabad: Officials to crack whip against commercial establishments fleecing people

Hyderabad: At a time when people have agonised with the deadly pandemic, the commercial establishments in Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts are fleecing the people coming out during the relaxation period to purchase essential commodities.

Shops, general stores, and supermarkets in Rangareddy District were seen bursting into seams with people thronging into markets to buy necessary stuff like grains and food products in order to get a safe stock for them for at least a period of lockdown.

However, reports were pouring in from the public that several shops and commercial establishments are charging more than the MRP taking advantage of the situation. "For every stuff or product, we brought home during the relaxation period we realised that the shop owners and supermarkets have charged at least Rs 5 to Rs 10 extra than the MRP fixed on the products.

This is simply called loot being carried out by these commercial establishments taking advantage of pandemic situations. These traders are milking profit out of the crisis," said Vanitha, a lady resident at Attapur.

Following the complaints of shops and supermarkets fleecing the customers by charging extra against the Maximum Retail Prices (MRP) taking advantage of the pandemic time, the Civil Supply

authorities in Rangareddy have geared up to crack the whip against the commercial establishments. It is said that the civil supply officials go into huddle after receiving frequent such complaints from the customers rushing into the markets to buy essential commodities during few hours of the relaxation in lockdown every morning and getting back with red faces due to exorbitant rates the commercial establishments charged taking advantage of the chaotic situation out of pandemic.

"We are receiving complaints from various quarters that the shops, general stores, and supermarkets are charging the products more than the MRP and accordingly we have planned to make surprise inspections under our area of operations to check the recalcitrance of these establishments.

We have formed a team to carry out inspects going round the room soon and will take appropriate and punitive action against traders found resorting to such unlawful practices that too at the time of the pandemic," informed Bala Saroja, Assistant Civil Supply Officer Circle no 3, Saroornagar, Rangareddy District.