Govt seals cement store

KATHMANDU, July 19:  A market monitoring team deployed by the local administration Monday sealed a cement store at Teku on charge of cheating consumers by selling cement sacks weighing up to eight kilograms short of normal weight.



The team mobilized by Kathmandu District Administration Office (DAO) found under-weighed cement bags of different brands like Nirman, JP and Deurali at Bajrayogini Center.[break]



Rani Sharma, president of Madhes Consumers Forum, said the sacks were found weighing in the range of 42 kg to 46 kg, lower than the normal weight of 50 kg. Sharma said the team sealed 200 sacks of cement kept for sales at the store.



The monitoring teams comprised of representatives from Kathmandu DAO, Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology, Department of Food Technology and Quality Control, Kathmandu Metropolitan City and different consumers forums.



Consumer rights activists said it is because of nominal penalty stipulated by existing laws that traders are involved in such foul play. As per the existing provision, government can slap a fine of Rs 1,000 against such wrongdoers.



Similarly, the team also took notice of two petrol pumps that were cheating consumers by selling less quantity of petroleum products.

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