Cases registered against popular supermarkets in Vizag

In what came as a shocker to many, the legal metrology department registered cases against multiple popular supermarkets in Vizag. The stores were held guilty for defying GST (Goods and Service Tax) norms, when the department conducted special inspections at malls like Big Bazaar, Reliance, Spencer’s and others on Saturday and Sunday.

Reportedly, the supermarkets were found guilty of selling a section of goods at prices higher than the permitted ones. With the revised GST norms coming into effect, the prices of multiple goods came down.

However, the officials found that the goods were being sold at older prices as supposed to the revised versions. Cases were registered against the supermarkets for selling the goods at a GST of 28% instead of the revised 18%.

“We have filed 14 GST violation cases against such supermarkets in the city during our raids in the last two days. Apart from this, we have registered 41 other type of cases for other violations,”  P Sudhakar, assistant controller, Legal Metrology, Visakhapatnam, told Times of India.

The official further informed that inspections were conducted at D-Mart units at Madhurawada and Madhavadhara, Vizag Central, Reliance Digital Mart, Big Bazaar, Lifestyle, Spencer’s and Reliance malls across Vizag.

An appeal has been made to the consumers to contact the department in case of any violations by the shopkeepers or the supermarkets.