(a) whether Star category hotels and other fast food joints are overcharging the customers as against the Consumer Affairs Packaged Commodities Rules, 1997 on various items like cold drinks and drinking water;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether according to the above rules, all the items at the hotels are sold at printed Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs);
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) if not, the corrective steps taken/proposed to be taken in this regard?
MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI SHARAD YADAV)
(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN PARTS (a) TO (e) OF REPLY TO LOK
SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 426 FOR 22/8/2003 REGARDING
OVERCHARGING BY STAR HOTELS
(a) to (e): The Standards of Weights and Measures
(Packaged Commodities) Rules 1977 require among other
things, a declaration of retail sale price on the package or
on a label affixed to the package in the form ‘Maximum
Retail Price…. (Inclusive of all taxes)’ (MRP). The said
Rules are a price declaratory mechanism and not a price
control mechanism. However selling of the package at a
price higher than MRP is prohibited under the Rules and
violation attracts penal provisions.
Cases of over charging in hotels and restaurants
were detected by the Enforcement authorities in the States
and Union Territories. Statement received from them
indicates that 1468 case have been booked under the
provisions of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 1977 for over
charging of packaged commodities like cold drinks and
drinking water in bottles, in hotels and food joints,
including 7 booked against star hotels.