The Government of Chandigarh on January 24, 2025, issued the Advisory with regard to the levy of service charges in hotels and restaurants.
The following has been stated namely: -
• It states that no hotel or restaurant shall force a consumer to pay the service charge and shall clearly inform the consumer that the service charge is voluntary, optional, and at the consumer's discretion.
• It states that service charges shall not be collected by adding it along with the food bill and levying GST on the total amount.
• It states that if any consumer finds a hotel or restaurant that is levying a service charge, a consumer may request the concerned hotel or restaurant to remove the service charge from the bill, lodge a complaint on the Consumer Helpline, or file a complaint against unfair trade practice with the Consumer Commission.
