Why are items charged above MRP in KSRTC bus stops?

Shops in KSRTC bus stops charge more than MRP, but there's nobody who responds to complaints.

The price charged by the retailers in KSRTC bus stations are different from what is printed as MRP. Pic: Shree D N

The retailers in almost all the bus stops operated by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) charge upto 25% more than the Maximum Retail Price for the consumers. The shop keepers demand the excess charges and deny the customers goods on MRP, quoting additional charges for cooling, electricity and bribes. 

Even a Rs 10 chocolate or a biscuit packet is charged above MRP. Most customers have resigned to the fact that the cooling charges on soft drinks are in excess of the MRP price printed on the bottles. The concept of MRP is no more valid in that case. However in super markets, these drinks are sold at MRP with much better cooling.

These additional charges made by the retailers are not accounted for and are a burden on the exchequer. 

The administration in KSRTC is blind and does not care about these abnormalities in the prices charged by these shopkeepers—obviously for known reasons. 

There are hoardings with contact numbers asking customers to contact the given authority about retailers demanding above MRP charges, but who cares? The calls to those numbers go unanswered with very little action taken.

It is a shame because of the scale of the abnormality. For political reasons, nobody wants to raise a voice.

Related Articles

With fare hike, BMTC helps people maintain better health!
Safety violations by BMTC Volvo drivers

Comments:

  1. Mohammed Rafiq says:

    Apart from the other reason stated above the vendors state that rentals of the facility is high, which is compensated with increase in price. However the sellers do not understand the volume of the business compensates for the high fixed charges.
    Secondly the railways are equally responsible for this brazen loot that is happening in broad day light. There is hardly any check on quality / quantity or the prices charged in the train or on the platforms.
    Thirdly the spots where the long distance buses are stopped are those where the driver / conductors get a cut and free food and beverages at the cost of extortion from the helpless travellers ( customers )
    Fully agree with the author that the government pays heedless view on this massive anomaly within its arms of control. Any amount of sweet talks like ‘grahak jaago’ will fetch no returns until the government executes the legislation which are collecting dust on paper.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

Bengalureans’ tax outlay: Discover the amount you contribute

Busting the myth of the oft repeated notion that "only 3% of Indians are paying tax". The actual tax outlay is 60% - 70%.

As per a recent report, it was estimated that in 2021-22, only 3% of the population of India pays up to 10 lakh in taxes, alluding that the rest are dependent on this. This begs the following questions: Are you employed? Do you have a regular source of income? Do you pay income tax? Do you purchase provisions, clothing, household goods, eyewear, footwear, fashion accessories, vehicles, furniture, or services such as haircuts, or pay rent and EMIs? If you do any of the above, do you notice the GST charges on your purchases, along with other taxes like tolls, fuel…

Similar Story

BBMP budget 2024-25: Allocations and climate action plan in conflict

Over Rs 2,130 crore allocated for roads in BBMP Budget 2024-25 far surpasses the allocations for improving healthcare, education and welfare.

The BBMP budget 2024-25 seems to be full of measures that are contradictory, which also undermine the rule of law. It hopes to garner Rs. 1,000 crore by permitting additional floors on high-rises as ‘premium floor-area ratio (FAR)’, over and above what is permitted by law.  At the same time, the budget has reduced the penalty on property tax defaulters by which it will lose about Rs. 2,700 crore!  Both these measures modify existing laws in an arbitrary manner, conveying the impression that laws may exist on paper but can be allowed to be bypassed at the whims of the…