Hyderabad: Paradise restaurant, D-Mart fined Rs 1.5 lakh for illegal carry bag charge
Hyderabad Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission has asked Paradise Restaurant Secunderabad and Begumpet branches and D-Mart, Hyderguda, to pay Rs 50,000 each (total Rs 1.5Lakh) for charging extra money for carry bags.
By Sumit Jha Published on 27 Aug 2021 8:48 AM GMT
Hyderabad: Hyderabad Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission has asked Paradise Restaurant Secunderabad and Begumpet branches and D-Mart, Hyderguda, to pay Rs 50,000 each (total Rs 1.5Lakh) for charging extra money for carry bags.
The case dates back to 2019 when complainant Vijay Gopal-Founder & President Forum Against Corruption, bought food from Paradise Restaurant Secunderabad in April 2019. Two months later, he again bought food from Paradise Restaurant Begumpet. Besides, he bought groceries from D-Mart, Hyderguda, in June 2019.
Paradise Restaurant charged Rs 4.76 for the carry bag, while D-Mart charged Rs 3.5 for the carry bag.
The commission ordered the restaurant and the retail outlet to stop charging for the carry bags. "Stop charging for the carry bags and provide them free to all the customers," the commission said.
Vijay Gopal said earlier these establishments used to pay the fine and continue with the past practice of charging for the carry bags. "Harassing consumers is what has become a norm in India while the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India is always asleep over consumer issues in India. So I requested the commission to specifically mention that restaurants and D-mart should not charge for the carry bags," he said.
The commission also ordered the restaurant chain and D-Mart to pay a sum of Rs. 3,000 each towards compensation for the mental agony and trauma suffered by the complainant. The Commission also asked them to pay a sum of Rs. 1,000 each towards costs of litigation.
