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.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
