Inspection of schools uniform, book seller conducted
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 5: Owing to large number of complaints received from parents of school going children on the malpractices adopted by the publishers, book sellers and schools, the officers of the department of Legal Metrology conducted extensive checking of various book sellers and schools in and around Jammu city and booked six sellers for violation of rules.
Parents complained that the rates on old books were smudged with new MRP by the publishers and the schools have allowed private persons to open shops in the school premises, thereby forcing the parents to purchase the books from that particular shop, which is against the provision of Jammu and Kashmir School Education Act, 2002/rules made there under and Bye laws of CBSE, which clearly envisage that no commercial activity shall be taken in the school premises.
The LMD teams inspected 3 schools, 2 uniform sellers and 10 book sellers at Pacca Danga, Canal Road, Gandhi Nagar, Bahu Plaza and Gandhi Nagar area and found that some of the sellers were indulging in unfair trade practice and were selling books and stationery items with smudged MRP and violating other provisions of law by way of not declaring mandatory declarations on the note books and stationary items which is otherwise mandatory for the information of consumers.
Accordingly, 6 cases were booked for different violations of the Legal Metrology Act/Rules. Notices were sent to the management of respective publishers, 3 cases were compounded and a fine of Rs 25000 was imposed on each defaulter with the direction not to indulge in such practices in future. Rest of the offenders are on notice and will be sent to the court of law for further legal proceedings if they failed to respond.
Schools were directed to display the list of the books at their website and the notice boards in their respective Schools along with list of vendors where parents can purchase uniform at a competitive price and in no case school management shall involve itself in any commercial activity within the school premises.