HYDERABAD: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-II has ordered Trent Hypermarket Private Limited, Banjara Hills, to pay a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh for charging money from customers for plastic carry bags, under the false pretext of environmental protection, and later utilising the money for their own benefit.
Meanwhile, the Commission also directed the store to refund the complainant Rs 6, which was charged for a plastic bag, with nine per cent interest and a compensation of Rs 10,000 for causing inconvenience and mental agony.
Hearing a petition filed by Yerramalla Sanjay, 43, a resident of Dilsukhnagar, the Commission observed that Trent Hypermarket is not spending the amount collected for the protection of environment by increasing greenery.
In the petition filed in July 2019, Sanjay wanted Trent Hypermarket to refund Rs 6 that was charged for a plastic bag and a sum of Rs 25,000 for causing mental agony by charging for the bag which had a printed logo of the store.
During the hearing, the Commission noticed that the store was not following the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, and found that the store doesn’t have permission to sell plastic bags.
“The opposite parties (Trent Hypermarket Private Limited) are directed to deposit the punitive damages of Rs 1,50,000 before this Commission as ordered towards compliance for proper disbursement,” the Commission said.
It further said that of the total of Rs 1,50,000, Rs 1 lakh will be remitted into the CMRF for the implementation of Haritha Haram, and the remaining Rs 50,000 into the Telangana Consumer Welfare Fund for uplifting consumer education.