Packaged commodities price disclosure obligations extend beyond manufacturers; consumer fora may require clear sale-price disclosure on packages.

The packaged commodities rules required a definite, plain and conspicuous declaration of the sale price on every package, and this obligation was not confined to the manufacturer. Rule 6(1) applied to the package itself, while Rule 6(2) on display of local taxes by a retail dealer was additional to, not exhaustive of, the broader disclosure duty. A restrictive reading that would leave retail pricing undisclosed to consumers was rejected as inconsistent with the consumer-protection purpose of the framework. The consumer fora's directions requiring price disclosure were upheld.

---

---

Issues: Whether the dealer or distributor of packaged film rolls was obliged under the packaged commodities rules to display or print the sale price on the package, and whether the consumer fora were justified in directing such price disclosure.

Analysis: The governing framework under the Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1976 and the Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 1977 required a definite, plain and conspicuous declaration on every package. Rule 6(1) was held to be directed to the package itself and not confined only to the manufacturer. Rule 6(2), dealing with prominent display of local taxes by a retail dealer, was treated as additional to, and not exhaustive of, the obligations arising under Rule 6(1). The Court also noted that accepting the appellant's restrictive reading would defeat the consumer-protection purpose of the 1986 Act and permit retail pricing to remain undisclosed to consumers.

Conclusion: The dealer and distributor were bound to comply with the price-disclosure requirement, and the directions issued by the consumer fora were upheld.

Ratio Decidendi: The packaged commodities rules impose price-disclosure obligations on the package and on retail sale, and those obligations are not confined to manufacturers alone; a restrictive reading that defeats consumer knowledge of the sale price is impermissible.

---