Hotels and restaurants will no longer be able to charge extra fees like ‘LPG charge’ or ‘fuel cost recovery’ from customers. The central government has clarified that only government taxes can be added to the bill in addition to food prices. Amid the LPG crisis, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has stated in its order that hotels and restaurants must include all their input costs in the prices given in the menu. Amid the ongoing LPG crisis across the country, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has stated in its order that hotels and restaurants must include all their input costs in the prices given in the menu. If any restaurant adds separate charges in the bill citing rising gas prices or any other operational expenses, it will be considered a violation of rules. According to the authority, customers will only pay the rate written in the menu and applicable taxes on it. Cafe charged 5% gas-crisis fee on lemonade Recently, a cafe in Bengaluru charged a 5% ‘gas crisis charge’ on the lemonade bill. According to the viral receipt from ‘Theo Cafe’, a customer ordered two mint lemonades priced at ₹179 per lemonade, totaling ₹358. The cafe gave a ₹7.90 (5%) discount, then added a 5% ‘gas crisis charge’ of ₹17.01 along with GST. This brought the total bill to ₹374. Attempt to circumvent service charge ban CCPA investigation found that many hotels-restaurants are charging under new names to bypass the ‘service charge’ ban. The authority called for strict monitoring and action, terming it a violation of consumer rights. What to do if you see such charges in the bill? CCPA has said that if you see LPG charge, fuel charge or any other extra fees added in the bill, first ask the hotel or restaurant management to remove it. If they refuse to remove it, customers can file a complaint. 4 ways to file a complaint Post navigation Silver prices rise ₹9,000/kg in a single day:Gold up ₹5,000/10 gm, reaches ₹1.45 lakh/10 gm
