Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Apr 19: Acting on the complaints of parents, the Legal Metrology Department Udhampur imposed the penalty of Rs 50,000 to the publishers for violation of Legal Metrology Packages Commodities Rules 2011 on the packages of Creative Hand Drawing book and accessories supplied to one of leading Schools in Udhampur.
During inspection, more than 20 books of Creative Hands drawing books along with accessories were seized from the leading school for smudging of MRP and non declaration mandatory declaration as required under Legal Metrology Packages Commodities Rules 2011 by the Publishers and notice was issued to the management of the school as well as the Publishers.
Owing to the large number of complaints received from the parents of school going children on the malpractices adopted by the Publishers, Booksellers and schools, checking squads were constituted by the Deputy Commissioner Udhampur. The squads conducted extensive checking of various schools, book sellers and uniform sellers in Udhampur and adjoining areas and found that some of the sellers were indulging in the unfair trade practices and were selling books, stationary items with smudged MRP besides violating other provisions of Legal Metrology Packages Commodities Rules.
Parents were complaining that rates on old books were smudged with new MRP by the Publishers and schools have allowed the Private Persons to open shops in the school campus thereby forcing the parents to purchase the books from that particular shop which is against the provisions of Jammu & Kashmir School Education Act and rules made there under. No commercial activity can be taken in the school campus under these rules.
Schools were directed by LMD to display the list of books at their website and on the Notice Board in their respective schools along with list of vendors where the parents can purchase uniform at a competitive price and in no case school management shall involve staff in any commercial activity within the school campus.
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