Department stores fined for storing date-expired food items

Kaski, Sept 26: A department store has been fined for selling date-expired goods in Pokhara. A district level market monitoring committee fined Rs 100 thousand to Min Bahadur Stores located at Ratna Chowk in Pokhara, reasoning it was selling the date-expired goods. The committee conducted a market monitoring on Monday.

Assistant Chief District Officer and Monitoring Committee Coordinator Guru Datt Dhakal informed that it was sheer fraud on consumers to sell substandard items. The store was found not labeling 12 galons of mustard oil, packets of spices and pulse, 10 cartons of chicken crackers, and others. The food items amounting Rs 28,960 were found date-expired and inedible.

The monitoring team disposed these items. Even a depot of salt was needed cleaning. The store owner Dipak Sherchan was directed to appear before District Administration Office, Kaski along with documents within three days. Similarly, Gaurab Traders located at Palikhe Chowk of Pokhara-3 was also found selling substandard goods. It was fined Rs 10,000.

A grocery run by Resham Lal Shrestha from the same locality was directed to keep board and renew registration. Eleven kgs of flour was disposed by the monitoring team for it was not edible. The store was fined Rs 5,000. These shops and stores were taken action as per Section 38 of Consumers’ Rights Protection Act.