NEW DELHI: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has written to chief secretaries and district collectors to ensure immediate implementation of the guidelines prohibiting hotels and restaurants from adding service charge to food bills. The Authority said as many as 85 complaints have been registered on the national consumer helpline, after the new guidelines were issued on July 4.
The top five cities from where complaints have been received are Delhi (18), Bengaluru (15), Mumbai (11), Pune (4) and Ghaziabad (3). Chief commissioner of CCPA Nidhi Khare said the guidelines are “not advisory in nature” and are “fully enforceable by law” since these have been issued as per the Consumer Protection Act.
In a statement, the consumer affairs ministry said the Consumer Protection Act 2019, which came into effect in July 2020, created a new statutory body — CCPA — which has been empowered by Parliament to take cognisance of unfair trade practices. Any violation of its guidelines will be viewed seriously and appropriate action will be taken.