HYDERABAD: Buying any item at shops at APSRTC bus stations is likely to burn a hole in your pocket. A quick glance shows mineral water, soft drinks, biscuit packets and other food items are being sold above their maximum retail prices.However, APSRTC authorities are yet to initiate action against shopkeepers who indulge in over-pricing, even after many complaints from passengers.The Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station gets about 5 written complaints and 15 oral complaints by passengers every day against shopkeepers for selling articles above the MRP, said C Vinod Kumar, regional manager, MGBS.“After receiving the complaint, officials go with the complainant to the shopkeeper and impose a fine of Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000. We collect around Rs 2 lakh per month in fines,” he added.The common excuse from shopkeepers for charging between Rs 2 and Rs 5 above the MRP are cooling charges. But interestingly, most soft drinks bottle taken out from the refrigerator are not chilled as shopkeepers keep them switched off most of the day, to save on the electricity bill.“This is nothing but looting and MRP violations should be curbed immediately,” said YK Rao, a passenger.When questioned why products are being sold above MRP, K Narayana, shopkeeper of shop no. 74 at the MGBS said, “It is a common phenomenon and it is going on everywhere in the state.”When a customer warned Narayana about complaining to the regional manager of bus station, Narayana replied nonchalantly, “Go and do whatever you want but you have to pay the extra price over MRP if you want something.”At the bus station, each shop’s monthly turnover is around Rs 4.5 lakh. The general profit would be 10 percent of the total turnover but here it goes up by 10 to 20 per cent, as shopkeepers sell articles above MRP.There are 126 shops at the MGBS. If the extra profit is multiplied by the number of shops, the turnover goes up to Rs 56.7 lakh.According to the regional manager, the bus station collects Rs 2 lakh as fine from shopkeepers, which means the 126 shopkeepers are earning a net Rs 54.7 lakh per month by the excess pricing.There are 6,556 shops at 773 RTC bus stations across the state. Following this logic, if every shop earns extra profit of Rs 45,000, the shopkeepers stand to earn a whopping Rs 39.5 crore.M Venkateswara Reddy, chief commercial manager, APSRTC said, “People should not pay above the MRP and lodge complaint with regional manager of the bus station if they see shopkeepers charge extra, so stringent action is taken against them.” He added that surprise checks will be carried out to punish shopkeepers charging above MRP.
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