SCDRC asks PepsiCo to pay Rs 50 lakh to competition winner
New Delhi, Oct 10 : The Delhi consumer commission has asked PepsiCo India to pay Rs 50 lakh to the winner of a competition organised by the company, and observed that there is a growing tendency among firms to attract customers by announcing big prizes but the winner is hardly given anything.
The Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) has asked the company to pay the amount along with compensation of Rs 10,000 and litigation charges Rs 10,000 to Delhi resident Karishma within 30 days.
"There is a growing tendency amongst the corporates to attract the customers by announcing big prizes and asking the public to participate in the competitions. It is done with a motive to promote business," member of the Commission N P Kaushik said.
The Commission said in a recent order that it was a clear case of "unfair trade practice".
Karishma had won an online game "Pepsi Youngistan Ka Wow" organised by the company in 2010 Indian Premier League.
In the complaint, it is claimed that three representatives of the company had visited her house and informed her that the prize money would be given to her within three days.
When she did not receive the amount, she called up one of the representatives who told her that she was a college student and not employed with the company, the complaint said.
The complaint alleged that when Karishma's parents tried to reach PepsiCo directly, one of the employees threatened them with dire consequences for their daughter.
The commission said that though consolation prizes were given to large number of participants in the form of downloading music and songs, the winning prize was hardly given.
"The top prize which attracts a huge number of participants is hardly given to the winner and avoided on one or the other pretext," it said.
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Indian vessel 'Jag Laadki' carrying over 80,000 MT crude oil reaches Gujarat's Mundra Port
Ahmedabad, Mar 18 (PTI): Indian-flagged tanker 'Jag Laadki', carrying around 80,886 metric tonnes (MT) of crude oil, arrived at Mundra Port in Gujarat on Wednesday amid the West Asia conflict, officials said.
A day earlier, LPG carrier 'Nanda Devi' arrived at Vadinar port in Gujarat's Devbhumi Dwarka district, carrying 46,500 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) navigating through the Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, another vessel - 'Shivalik' - carrying LPG docked at Mundra Port.
Adani Ports, which operates Mundra Port, said in a statement that the crude oil carried by Jag Laadki was sourced from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and loaded at Fujairah Port there.
"Measuring 274.19 metres in length overall and 50.04 metres in beam, the tanker boasts a deadweight tonnage of approximately 164,716 tonnes and a gross tonnage of about 84,735 tonnes," it said.
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The tanker's arrival at the Mundra Port underscores the facility's critical role in handling substantial crude imports, it said.
"This delivery supports major refinery relies on such shipments to maintain operations and bolster India's energy security during supply disruptions in the region," Adani Ports added.
The port provided the safe berthing of the vessel and maritime coordination in safeguarding vital energy lifelines of India, it said.
Fujairah Port in UAE faced drone and missile attacks during the ongoing Israel-US and Iran war.
India imports about 88 per cent of its crude oil, 50 per cent of natural gas and 60 per cent of LPG needs. Before the US-Israel strikes on Iran on February 28 and Tehran's retaliation, more than half of India's crude imports, about 30 per cent of gas and 85-90 per cent of LPG imports came from Middle East countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The conflict has led to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the main transit route for Gulf energy supplies. While India has partly offset crude supply disruptions by sourcing oil from countries including Russia, gas supplies have been curtailed to industrial users and LPG availability to commercial establishments such as hotels and restaurants has been reduced.
