Aavin flooded with complaints, begins raids on retailers

CHENNAI: The state-owned Aavin milk federation h" been conducting raids since Monday, after TOI exposed the practice of some retailers charging customers more than the maximum retail price for milk.

Three teams of senior officials from Aavin and the vigilance team began investigations and found that several retailers in Chennai have been fleecing customers.

"We conducted raids in more than 150 booths across Chennai and found that 10% of them sell 500ml of Aavin milk for Re 1 more than the MRP," a senior Aavin official said.

The Aavin vigilance team also carried out surprise checks in several places."We have also issued notices to the Aavin agents who sold milk sachets to the retailers re-sell them above the MRP," the official added. He said the raids will continue to ensure that people are not cheated.

Aavin has also been deluged with complaints from people informing them about retailers who are charging more than the MRP. The complaints have been coming via email or the 24-hour helpline that Aavin runs. "We received complaints from Saidapet and Selaiyur," the official said. Until last Friday, the helpline at the Aavin headquarters in Nandanam had not received even one complaint in three months. Though a helpline and 24 zonal marketing offices across the city were open to receiving complaints, customers said they were unaware of the complaint mechanism.

The controller of legal metrology, who functions under the labour department, has also received complaints about the rogue retailers.

"After the news report on the Aavin milk scam, we have received complaints from a group of residents from Arumbakkam. We have also decided to conduct raids across the city to regulate malpractices," said M Balasubramaniyum, controller of legal metrology.

Aavin officials have also printed stickers with the details of the toll-free complaint number and will soon put them up at all the outlets.