CUTTACK: The district civil supply officials on Monday raided a mall in Cuttack and Banki to curb the illegal practice of charging excess price from consumers on some essential commodities exempted from Goods and Service Tax (GST).
After implementation of GST, though the price of some essential commodities like loose rice, flour, jaggery and edible oil besides other products should have been reduced, no retailer has implemented the new price as yet.
Acting on the direction of District Civil Supply Officer (CSO) Amar Mahapatra, a special squad comprising ACSO Gyanendra Mahapatra, Bhikari Charan Mangaraj, Marketing Inspector Ramesh Chandra Tarai and Nilima Nayak conducted raids on different shops in a mall at Jail Road and other retail centres of Chhatra Bazaar and Dolmundai. A surprise check was also conducted on some retail shops in Banki.
The raids revealed that unscrupulous businessmen are charging more price on loose rice, flour and jaggery though the rate of same should be reduced as no GST is being implemented on such essential commodities. The businessmen have not rectified their rate chart put on display and are charging the previous price from consumers, said the ASCO. The traders were found charging around `2 excess on per kg of rice and `3 to `4 on a kg of jaggery, he told.
“We have issued a notice to the mall authorities and other businessmen indulging in unscrupulous trade practice,” said Mahapatra adding necessary legal action would be initiated against those who do not rectify the rate charts and charge as per new price.