Shirdi Administration Seals Three Shops for Overcharging Devotees on Pooja Items
The Shirdi Municipal Council (SMC), in collaboration with Shirdi police, has sealed three shops in the temple town for selling pooja items at inflated prices to devotees visiting the revered Sai Baba Temple.
Officials revealed that numerous complaints were lodged by devotees regarding the exorbitant pricing of essential pooja items such as flowers, coconuts, incense sticks, and prasad. Acting on these grievances, the municipal authorities conducted inspections and discovered that certain shopkeepers were exploiting pilgrims by charging unreasonably high rates.
Following the investigation, three shops were identified for violating fair trade practices and were promptly sealed. A senior official from the Shirdi Municipal Council emphasized, “Devotees come to Shirdi for spiritual purposes, and taking undue advantage of their faith by overpricing religious items is unacceptable. Strict action will be taken against any shop engaging in such malpractices.”
Satish Dighe, the chief officer of the municipal council, highlighted that the sale of items on the premises of the Sai Baba Temple is banned as per court guidelines. He added, “It has also been found that many shopkeepers are selling pooja-related items at inflated rates, hence we have taken action.” Dighe further mentioned that a meeting will soon be convened to finalize guidelines to ensure better compliance among stakeholders.
The municipal authorities have issued warnings to vendors and shopkeepers to adhere to fair pricing policies and maintain transparency in their dealings. Pilgrims have been encouraged to report any instances of overcharging to the authorities. Officials have assured that regular inspections will be conducted to prevent such incidents in the future.
