Kerala: The Big Bazaar, the retail giant which has earlier promised for discount coupons to its Thiruvananthapuram- based customers in exchange of old newspaper and other scrap materials, has not been fined for the littering. Moreover, the Big Bazaar’s outlet at Pattom, in the city is caught by the Corporation authorities, while it was disposing of junk in the another part of the city.
While the Gulf economy- nourished, Kerala tops the country in Monthly Per Capita Expenditure- MPCE both in the rural and urban areas, as shown in the latest statistics of National Sample Survey Organisation- NSSO, it is connection with the retailing, where state is considered a bellwether market.
It is estimated that the Urban Kerala to have an enviable Monthly Per Capita Expenditure of 5,376 rupees and when any consumer expectation dangling at the retailing level, then it is nationally noticed.
Yesterday, the foul play detection, has found opening a can of worms over the much advertised “junk exchange” schemes from the Big Bazaar- a retaining giant. It was seen that for the Junk items including the old bags, old shoes, old newspapers, old clothing, etc., the consumers were given a discount. However, it was noticed apparently that the said junk were not recycled, however, they were dumped elsewhere in the city.
As such, the City Mayor of the Thiruvananthapuram- V K Prashanth said that, in this case, it was found that the “five truckloads of the Scrap” nearly were dumped at the another part of the city in the night. Thus, the retailer- Big Bazaar is slapped with the fine of 25,000 rupees, to mark the “civic irresponsibility” for littering.
Moreover, the authorities are also asked the retailers to clean up the place in a day, and if the won’t, then they would be facing the further penal measures, like cancellation of their license of carrying the business in the relevant premises.
The advertisements for the exchange scheme to get discounts were seemed published in the city newspapers. And in turn the consumers for their exchange of junk materials, were offered with the discounts of about 12.5 %.
