No service charge to be collected in hotels

Bengaluru: No hotels, restaurants are permitted to collect service charge from their customers in Karnataka state following union government’s order asking the hotels not to collect service fee from their customers in the country, said Karnataka State Food and Civil Supplies Minister UT Khader speaking with media persons on Tuesday in the state capital.  The minister also warned the hotel owners that, the department would take legal actions against those who increase the prices of food items following cancellation of service fee. The public can also approach consumer court or any concerned authority, if they forced to pay service charge, Khader said. 

A circular would be released by the state government to all hotels and restaurants in Karnataka as some of the hotel owners continued practice to collect service charge even if it is made not mandatory by the centre. The sate government is expected call a meeting of hotel and restaurant owners meeting to discuss the issues related to cancellation of service charge and solve them immediately, the minister said.  Officials from the concerned department will visit the hotels in the state and check the rates of food items being supplied in the hotels, the minister cautioned.

Speaking on food dumping, the minister said that the government is planing to bring a separate act to limit the hotels in Karnataka from dumping surplus food items as waste. The hotels should make agreement with NGOs, old-age homes or any other organisation to supply their surplus food to them instead of throwing it away. The NGOs and general public should create awareness on food wastage and its adverse impact on the society, the minister said.