CCPA has said that the guidelines were introduced after exhaustive deliberations and after considering hundreds of complaints received from across the country.
The Court was hearing an appeal by the CCPA challenging a single-judge’s order which stayed its guidelines stipulating that hotels and restaurants should not add service charge by default to food bills.
As many as 85 complaints have been registered on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) after new guidelines were issued on July 4 barring hotels and restaurants from levying service charge by default
"Is it possible to survive in this time of inflation with just a salary of Rs 14,000? We will have to follow the new norms, so I will ask for a pay raise from my employer to compensate," a Delhi chef told a reporter.
The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) on Wednesday said the government cannot make changes in levy of service charge in food bills by making guidelines and CCPA's decision to bar hotels and restaurants from such practice has created unnecessary confusion amongst consumers and disrupted smooth operations of restaurants.