Hyderabad Eateries Flout LPG Charge Ban
With the LPG shortage increasing in the country, especially to commercial outlets, businesses which are dependent on commercial LPG cylinders are facing severe troubles.
Hyderabad: Despite a clear ban by India's consumer watchdog on adding “LPG charges” or “gas surcharges” to customer bills, several restaurants across Hyderabad are still adding charges to bills.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) recently directed that no hotel or restaurant should levy such charges separately. It stated that costs like fuel and LPG are part of normal business expenses and must already be included in menu prices, not added as extra fees on bills.
CCPA stated that no hotel or restaurant should levy “LPG charges”, “gas charges”, or similar charges by default or automatically in the bill, with the price displayed on the menu being the final price exclusive only of applicable taxes.
The advisory followed a rise in complaints from customers who noticed additional charges labelled as “gas surcharge”, “fuel recovery cost” or “gas crisis charge” on their receipts. In many cases, these charges were added automatically, without prior notice.
With the LPG shortage increasing in the country, especially to commercial outlets, businesses which are dependent on commercial LPG cylinders are facing severe troubles. Many outlets are experiencing limited output, with some even purchasing commercial cylinders illegally for extra money just to run their outlets. To compensate for the rising demand, restaurants began charging additional amounts on the bills.
Customers say that when questioned, some restaurants are removing or refunding the charges, but only after arguments. Sreedhar Mudiraj, a resident of Himayat Nagar said “I went to a restaurant on Friday, and on the final bill they added an LPG charge of Rs. 100. They removed it when I asked, but the question is why it was added in the first place”, he said.
Officials have made it clear that such practices are illegal and amount to an “unfair trade practice” under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Restaurants that continue to impose these charges could face strict action.
Authorities urged citizens to not pay the additional surcharge and insist the restaurant remove the charges. Citizens can also lodge a complaint on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) by calling 1915 or through the NCH mobile app, and if in the Hyderabad district, can put up a grievance on 7416687878 with the Hyderabad collector’s office.