Crackdown on eateries fleecing movie-goers

Penal action would be taken against eateries in movie halls selling items above the maximum retail price (MRP), the Tamil Nadu Labour Department said Friday.

The department said its special taskforce headed by an officer in the rank of an assistant commissioner was formed following complaints and it raided cinemas across the state during the last two days, an official press release said.

Inspections of 335 places were made of which 72 cafes were found selling water bottles, soft drinks and food packets in excess of the MRP, the release said.

Also, cases were filed against eateries for not printing on packets the names of the manufacturers, full address, MRP (including all taxes) and date of packaging, it said.

"A total of 114 cases was booked and penal action was being initiated," the release said.

In addition, a mobile application - Tamil Nadu Legal Metrology Complaint Tracking System (TN-LMCTS) has been created for consumers to lodge complaints against items sold above the MRP or in less quantity in ration shops, it added.