Hotels can charge you more than MRP for bottled water: What you should know
The court rejected the government's argument that overcharging for pre-packed or packaged products was an offence under the Legal Metrology Act LATEST NEWS : Can a hotel or a restaurant charge for a bottle of drinking water more than the maximum retail price marked on the container? The answer is yes. In a major blow to consumers, the Supreme Court on Tuesday held that hotels and restaurants are not bound by the maximum retail price (MRP) when they sell bottled mineral water and packaged food items. The court rejected the government’s argument that overcharging for pre-packed or packaged products was an offence under the Legal Metrology Act, which attracts a fine of Rs 25,000 or a jail term, according to ET. A bench headed by Justice Rohinton Nariman said the provisions of the law will not apply to hotels and restaurants, and these establishments cannot be prosecuted for selling such items above the MRP. “It is not a case of simple sale. Nobody goes to a ho...