Hyderabad: A hotel at Nalgonda was penalised Rs 25,000 for charging more than the maximum retail price (MRP) printed on a bottle of water. Elsewhere, the legal meteorology department booked a store for not displaying the MRP of water bottles.
Commercial stores should display the actual MRP of the bottle of water.
Based on a complaint, the legal metrology department booked Navarang Tasty Sharbath at Jambgh for not displaying the MRP. The department said this was in violation of Rule 4, 6 (1) (a) (d) (e), 6 (2), 18 (1) of the legal metrology (PC) Rules 2011”.
Complainant Srikhande Umesh Kumar, who runs a forum called ‘Know Your Rights’ said Vivera Hotel at Nalgonda was charging more than the MRP for water bottles, and several customers had complained about it.
“After analysing the bill, I found the hotel management was violating certain sections of the legal metrology rules and a complainant was filed.”
He said the assistant controller of Nalgonda district was reluctant to take action. “It was only after submitting a written complainant to the controller of legal metrology that the officer issued notice,” Mr Kumar said.
Under the Consumer Protection Act, it is illegal to sell any product above MRP as it amounts to unfair trade practice. The MRP is inclusive of GST. Consumers need not pay more than the MRP printed on the packages.
The MRP of a bottle of water is `20. A hotelier would charge 2.5 per cent CGST and SGST, making the customer pay extra.
