Charging Re 1 extra for a plate of idlis proved costly for a city-based hotel. The Bangalore District Consumer Grievances Redressal Forum has directed the hotel management to pay the complainant Rs. 100 along with Rs. 1,000 towards litigation costs.
T. Narasimha Murthy, a social activist and advocate, had approached the 1st Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, complaining that Hotel Adiga situated on Dickenson Road was charging Re. 1 extra for every order.
Mr. Murthy in his complaint said that the hotel was charging Re. 1 extra for each item served to its customers at 21 of its outlets. Further enquiries by Mr. Murthy revealed that the hotel had signed a memorandum of understanding with Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO which is providing midday meal to schoolchildren across the State .
The hotel management clarified that the amount collected from the customers would be given to Akshaya Patra as part of its Social Responsibility Measures.
In the complaint, Mr. Murthy said each of the 21 outlets served around 1,000 customers on an average and collected Rs. 21,000 per day. Hence, the hotel management would collect Rs. 6.3 lakh a month and Rs. 75.6 lakh per annum.
The hotel management in its defence contended that the hotel had publicly announced that it would be collecting Re. 1 extra towards the Akshaya Patra’s midday meal scheme and it did not amount to deficiency of services .
The management also contended that the customer could always refuse to take food at their hotel if he or she was not willing to pay the said amount.
The forum in its judgment termed the practice of charging extra Re. 1 as nothing but unfair trade practice. “The government or any other body cannot load the burden of carrying their projects at the cost of the citizen,” the order said.
Though the objective of feeding underprivileged children was laudable, the objective had to be carried at the cost of the hotel’s profits in respect of their earning, the forum said, directing the General Manager of Vasudeva Adiga's Fast Food Pvt. Ltd, to comply with the orders within 30 days.
