The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has seized 436 items in a special islandwide operation against traders selling Atapirikara and Pirikara sets, uncovering incomplete sets and substandard contents, the Daily Mirror reported on Tuesday.
The operation was carried out on August 10 and produced 92 successful raids. A further 35 raids were conducted between January and July, bringing the total for the year so far to 127.
What inspectors checked
Officers examined whether traders had complied with Order No. 55 of Extraordinary Gazette No. 1918/20 dated June 11, 2015, and inspected bills, invoices and other records maintained at the premises.
Most of the violations detected involved a failure to display required information on Atapirikara, Tanipata Sivuru, Adanakada, Bandapati, bowls and other Pirikara items, or on their packaging.
The items seized included Atapirikara sets, robes, Adanakadas, Bandapatis, bowls and other accessories.
Sets opened and examined
Rather than confining checks to outer packaging, officers randomly opened selected Atapirikara sets to inspect the contents. According to the CAA, that turned up several irregularities:
- Sets containing only a single robe instead of a pair
- Incomplete sets missing some of the eight components traditionally associated with an Atapirikara
- Contents altered according to the stated price
- Aluminium and damaged bowls
- Blunt or unusable razor blades
The Authority warned that such shortcomings may not be visible from the outside of a package, and urged buyers to check the contents carefully, particularly when purchasing complete sets for religious purposes.
The CAA said legal action will be initiated against the traders concerned before the relevant Magistrate’s Courts, and that responsibility for providing required product information and ensuring goods are in proper condition rests with the trader.
The operation continues a run of CAA enforcement activity in recent weeks, following raids on pharmacies and a canned fish seizure in Pannala.
Source: Daily Mirror.
