Ignorance takes the better of channel community

Rules have never been important in a country like ours. It has always been

flouted with the utmost imp-unity. So it comes as no surprise when one sees

boxes with the usual stickers identifying the product missing.

Commented Keshav Mad-hav, Director, Vidur & Co, "According to the

rules, an imported box should have the MRP (inclusive of all taxes), month of

import and the importers name and address. But in Nehru Place we see a whole lot

of companies selling products without these nece-ssary stickers. It’s being

done openly."

But what pains him is to see innocent people getting duped. Most of these

small dealers are unaware of the rules and don’t know that such stickers are

required by law.

A few weeks back when some people were caught, they claimed that they were

unaware of the rules. Most people in the market also agree that small time

resellers have most of the time no idea about the rules and norms and therefore

get into trouble with the law. While some also agree that autho-rities too maybe

involved in such activities.

Some of these products sold without the stickers are some-times smuggled and

sold in the market less than the original price, causing a dent in the

bottomlines of the genuine dealers.

Madhav recounted an inci-dent where one of his own products was sold without

the name but as they were genuine and had nothing to hide they came out clean.

Though the business thrives in the market the authorities most of the time

turn a blind eye to it. And sometimes the culprit and the law are in hand and

glove, that’s why most of the time culprits go scot-free.

"I have heard people being challaned and most of them claiming

unawareness on the policy. There might be cases when the reseller doesn’t want

to reveal the importer, that’s why they deliberately remove the sticker,"

commented Saurabh Nagpal, Director, Multilink Computers. He supports the fact

that it’s the unawareness among the people because of which such products are

doing the rounds of the market.

Amit Kumar Kedia, Director, Shree Sagarmatha Distributors, a major

Delhi-based importer, pointed out, "Such problems we see only in the north

but if you see the south it hardly exists."

Shyam Modi, Director, Modi Peripherals, too agreed that it’s unawareness

that’s the major problem. But in the same breath, he said, "With the

advent of nil duty on components, the grey market will perish."

On his part, Madhav wanted that people be more aware about the norms and

policies and also "the authorities should implement rules and regulations

more forcefully."

Karma Negi


New Delhi