In a joint raid by the Civil Supply and Weight and Measures departments at ‘Anand Super Bazar’, irregularities were noticed and the Budharaja-based mall was slapped with a fine of Rs 30, 000.
The mall was cheating its customers even after taxes were exempted from food materials or reduced in some items. It was charging the old rates.
Getting information from the intelligence sources and the common people, the two departments conducted the joint raid.
“Although food materials have been exempted from tax, the mall was charging taxes as per the old rate of VAT and thereby cheating the customers. It was also cheating costumers in many other materials,” informed the CSO of Sambalpur Pitambar Acharya.
It was further seen that the mall owner was selling many other food materials under his brand name although he was not authorized to do so. “During the raid, we further found that he has no valid licence for packing any materials,” CSO Acharya added. It was further seen that there was no change in the rate in many other materials where tax has been reduced. Hence, for no valid reason, the customers were paying more.
“Finding all these irregularities, we have imposed a fine of Rs 30,000 on the businessman and warned him not to do such illegal business henceforth,” the CSO said further. Meanwhile, other business organisations in the town have been panicked by the raid.