Dual MRP may continue even after Amended Rules
‘(bc) “institutional consumer” means the institution which buys packaged commodities bearing a declaration ‘not for retail sale’, directly from the manufacturer or from an importer or from wholesale dealer for use by that institution and not for commercial or trade purposes;’;
3. In the said rules, for rule 3, the following rule shall be substituted, namely:- “3. Application of Chapter.- The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to-
(c) packaged commodities meant for industrial consumers or institutional consumers.”.
(i) after sub-rule (2), the following sub-rule shall be inserted, namely:- “(2A) Unless otherwise specifically provided under any other law, no manufacturer or packer or importer shall declare different maximum retail prices on an identical pre-packaged commodity by adopting restrictive trade practices or unfair trade practices as defined under clause (c) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (68 of 1986).
By saying " Unless otherwise specifically provided under any other law" a loop hole is created. The sub-rule does not say that a manufacturer or packer or importer shall not print a different MRP for sale to an institutional consumer or industrial consumer. more