Mumbai Mirror

• Airline served notice after passenger lodges complaint with state legal metrology department 
  

Mumbai, Oct 8: While most of us usually shell out the steep asking price for snacks on board budget airlines, passenger Dr B V Jichkar decided he didn’t like the idea of being ripped off.

Acting on his complaint, the state legal metrology department, for the first time ever, has registered a complaint against SpiceJet and the supplier Harish Company (Chennai) for supplying packaged snacks on board without a bill and with the maximum retail price (MRP) missing on the packet.

Ankush Dhanvijay, controller of the Legal Metrology Department, said SpiceJet and Harish Company had been served notices for violation of the provisions in Standard Weights & Measures (packaged items), Rules - 1977.

On September 18 and 20, while travelling to and from Delhi, Jichkar had purchased packets of roasted and salted cashew nuts on the flight.  He was asked to pay Rs 30 per packet. When Jichkar did not find the MRP on the packet he asked for a bill against the purchase, which he was refused. He was also suspicious of the weight of 25 gms printed on the packets. On reaching the city, Jichkar registered the matter with the department for violations of the prescribed norms under the Act. He gave the packets — two empty and one intact — as proof. 

The pack (left) is intact, but the MRP cannot be seen

Acting on the complaint, Dhanvijay said the department had prepared a seizure note and notices had been issued against the respective companies.

If they fail to respond within the time period provided by the investigating officer, the case will be sent to the court for warrants, said Dhanvijay.

When contacted, Ajay Jasraj, spokesperson for SpiceJet, said he had no idea about the notice. He said that as the matter was legal any comment without going through it would not be proper.