Government seeks reply from packaged water companies over different MRPs

NEW DELHI: The government has sought explanation from companies selling packaged mineral water over different MRPs of bottles for various places and directed that the sale price should be same at airports, hotels and malls.

Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today tweeted that the consumer forum under his ministry have been receiving complaints relating to different MRP being charged for packaged mineral water at different places.

He further tweeted that it came to notice that the companies had printed different MRPs for selling the same bottle at different places like hotels and airports.

The ministry had sought explanations from such companies on different MRPs of the same water bottle, he tweeted.

"Mineral water bottle will be available at the same rate at airports, hotels and malls," he tweeted.

In October last year, Paswan had said that sale of packaged water and soft drinks above MRP (Maximum Retail Price) -- including at airports, multiplexes and hotels -- would attract stringent penal actions like fines and jail term.

"Charging above MRP is violation of the law. But we still see at airports, multiplex and hotels, that packaged water is sold at more than the MRP. This needs to be stopped," Paswan had said.

The packaged drinking water is sold at 10-20 per cent higher rates at these places, while in some cases, MRP is not even written on the water bottle and "soft drinks like Coca Cola are sold in loose at an increased rate", Paswan had said.

"We have sufficient powers to take action against violators and we will take if consumers file complaints in this regard. There is penalty and even jail term for violators," Paswan had said.