Sindhuraa Hotel booked for overcharging, tampering with MRP

Hyderabad: The Department of Legal Metrology has booked Hotel Sindhuraa for tampering with MRP at Medchal in Malkajgiri District.

Sindhuraa Restaurant and Banquet Hall near RK Nagar Colony in Malkajgiri allegedly charged its customers in excess of MRP for water bottles.

Telangana State Consumer Forum has slapped Rs 2000 fine on the restaurant.

Complainant Galibe Vishal said the restaurant charged Rs 29 instead of Rs 20 for one liter water bottle. “I did not notice the overcharging until I received my bill copy from Restaurant,” he said.

Legal Metrology department has registered a case under Section 33 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009.

Earlier this week, in a similar case of overcharging, the department had booked a Madhapur restaurant 'Fusion 9’ under the same act.

According to Section 33 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, “Whoever, sells, distributes, delivers or otherwise transfers or uses any unverified weight or measure shall be punished with fine which shall not be less than two thousand rupees.”

Overcharging for pre-packed products is an offence under the Legal Metrology Act punishable by a jail term or a fine of Rs 25,000

According to Section 36 of the Legal Metrology Act, “Anyone caught selling, distributing or delivering any pre-packaged commodity that does not conform to the declarations on the package shall be punished with fines up to Rs 25,000 for the first offence".

Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India had argued in the Supreme Court that charging in excess of MRP for bottled water during the service does not violate the provisions of the Standards of Weights and Measures Act, the Packaged Commodities Rules or the Legal Metrology Act of 2010.

It is in response to this argument that the Supreme Court had said hotels and restaurants can charge more than the maximum retail price for bottled water if it’s manufactured by the restaurant.