Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution press release · 25 March 2026 · pibtracker filter

Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issues advisory to prevent unfair trade practices relating to levy of “LPG Charges” and similar charges in hotels and restaurants

PRID2245074 MinistryMinistry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Released25 March 2026 Reading11 min

Hotels and restaurants barred from adding default fuel-related charges; practice termed unfair trade under Consumer Protection Act, 2019 Posted On: 25 MAR 2026 4:01PM by PIB Delhi The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has taken serious note of hotels and restaurants levying additional charges such as “LPG charges”, “gas surcharge” and “fuel cost recovery” in consumer bills, terming the practice an unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Observing that such charges are being imposed by default to circumvent existing guidelines on service charges , the Authority has issued a fresh advisory under section 10 of the Consumer Protection Act 2019 directing that no such charges shall be levied automatically, and warned that violations may invite strict action. The CCPA has observed, based on grievances received on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) , and media reports, that certain hotels and restaurants are levying such charges in the consumer bill by default, over and above the price of food and beverages displayed in the menu and applicable taxes. Such practices result in lack of transparency and impose unjustified costs on consumers. The present practice of levying “LPG charges ” or similar charges is an attempt to circumvent the aforesaid guidelines by adopting a different nomenclature. The CCPA has clarified that input costs such as fuel, LPG, electricity, and other operational expenses are part of the cost of running a business and must be factored into the pricing of menu items. Recovery of such costs through separate mandatory charges constitutes an unfair trade practice under Section 2(47) of the Act. Through this advisory, the CCPA has advised that: No hotel or restaurant shall levy “LPG charges”, “gas charges”, or similar charges by default or automatically in the bill. The price displayed in the menu shall be the final price, exclusive only of applicable taxes. Consumers shall not be misled or compelled to pay any additional charge that is not voluntary in nature. The advisory further reiterates that any such charges, irrespective of nomenclature, are in the nature of service charge or additional fees and their levy by default would amount to violation of the CCPA Guidelines dated 04.07.2022, and may attract action under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Consumer grievance redressal Consumers who encounter such practices may: Request the hotel or restaurant to remove the charge from the bill Lodge a complaint on the National Consumer Helpline by calling 1915 or through the NCH mobile app File a complaint before the appropriate Consumer Commission through the e-Jagriti portal Submit a complaint to the District Collector or directly to the CCPA . The CCPA is closely monitoring such practices across the country. Any violation, including the imposition of unfair or unauthorized charges by hotels and restaurants, will be dealt with appropriately, and necessary action shall be taken by the CCPA under the provisions of the Act to safeguard the interests of consumers. (The advisory is available on the Central Consumer Protection Authority’s website https://doca.gov.in/ccpa/guidelins.php ) *** RT/ ARC (Release ID: 2245074) Visitor Counter : 3462 Read this release in: Urdu , हिन्दी , Marathi , Assamese , Punjabi , Gujarati , Odia , Telugu , Kannada Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issues advisory to prevent unfair trade practices relating to levy of “LPG Charges” and similar charges in hotels and restaurants Hotels and restaurants barred from adding default fuel-related charges; practice termed unfair trade under Consumer Protection Act, 2019 Posted On: 25 MAR 2026 4:01PM by PIB Delhi The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has taken serious note of hotels and restaurants levying additional charges such as “LPG charges”, “gas surcharge” and “fuel cost recovery” in consumer bills, terming the practice an unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Observing that such charges are being imposed by default to circumvent existing guidelines on service charges , the Authority has issued a fresh advisory under section 10 of the Consumer Protection Act 2019 directing that no such charges shall be levied automatically, and warned that violations may invite strict action. The CCPA has observed, based on grievances received on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) , and media reports, that certain hotels and restaurants are levying such charges in the consumer bill by default, over and above the price of food and beverages displayed in the menu and applicable taxes. Such practices result in lack of transparency and impose unjustified costs on consumers. The present practice of levying “LPG charges ” or similar charges is an attempt to circumvent the aforesaid guidelines by adopting a different nomenclature. The CCPA has clarified that input costs such as fuel, LPG, electricity, and other operational expenses are part of the cost of running a business and must be factored into the pricing of menu items. Recovery of such costs through separate mandatory charges constitutes an unfair trade practice under Section 2(47) of the Act. Through this advisory, the CCPA has advised that: No hotel or restaurant shall levy “LPG charges”, “gas charges”, or similar charges by default or automatically in the bill. The price displayed in the menu shall be the final price, exclusive only of applicable taxes. Consumers shall not be misled or compelled to pay any additional charge that is not voluntary in nature. The advisory further reiterates that any such charges, irrespective of nomenclature, are in the nature of service charge or additional fees and their levy by default would amount to violation of the CCPA Guidelines dated 04.07.2022, and may attract action under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Consumer grievance redressal Consumers who encounter such practices may: Request the hotel or restaurant to remove the charge from the bill Lodge a complaint on the National Consumer Helpline by calling 1915 or through the NCH mobile app File a complaint before the appropriate Consumer Commission through the e-Jagriti portal Submit a complaint to the District Collector or directly to the CCPA . The CCPA is closely monitoring such practices across the country. Any violation, including the imposition of unfair or unauthorized charges by hotels and restaurants, will be dealt with appropriately, and necessary action shall be taken by the CCPA under the provisions of the Act to safeguard the interests of consumers. (The advisory is available on the Central Consumer Protection Authority’s website https://doca.gov.in/ccpa/guidelins.php ) *** RT/ ARC (Release ID: 2245074) Hotels and restaurants barred from adding default fuel-related charges; practice termed unfair trade under Consumer Protection Act, 2019" /> The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has taken serious note of hotels and restaurants levying additional charges such as “LPG charges”, “gas surcharge” and “fuel cost recovery” in consumer bills, terming the practice an unfair trade practice under the <a href="https://consumeraffairs.nic.in/sites/default/files/Consumer_Protection_Act_2019.pdf" target="_blank">Consumer Protection Act, 2019.</a> Observing that such charges are being imposed by default to circumvent existing guidelines on service charges, the Authority has issued a <a href="https://doca.gov.in/ccpa/guidelins.php" target="_blank">fresh advisory</a> under section 10 of the Consumer Protection Act 2019 directing that no such charges shall be levied automatically, and warned that violations may invite strict action. The CCPA has observed, based on grievances received on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), and media reports, that certain hotels and restaurants are levying such charges in the consumer bill by default, over and above the price of food and beverages displayed in the menu and applicable taxes. Such practices result in lack of transparency and impose unjustified costs on consumers. The present practice of levying “LPG charges” or similar charges is an attempt to circumvent the aforesaid guidelines by adopting a different nomenclature. The CCPA has clarified that input costs such as fuel, LPG, electricity, and other operational expenses are part of the cost of running a business and must be factored into the pricing of menu items. Recovery of such costs through separate mandatory charges constitutes an unfair trade practice under Section 2(47) of the Act. Through this advisory, the CCPA has advised that: <li style="text-align:justify">No hotel or restaurant shall levy “LPG charges”, “gas charges”, or similar charges by default or automatically in the bill.</li> <li style="text-align:justify">The price displayed in the menu shall be the final price, exclusive only of applicable taxes.</li> <li style="text-align:justify">Consumers shall not be misled or compelled to pay any additional charge that is not voluntary in nature.</li> The advisory further reiterates that any such charges, irrespective of nomenclature, are in the nature of service charge or additional fees and their levy by default would amount to violation of the CCPA Guidelines dated 04.07.2022, and may attract action under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Consumer grievance redressal Consumers who encounter such practices may: <li style="text-align:justify">Request the hotel or restaurant to remove the charge from the bill</li> <li style="text-align:justify">Lodge a complaint on the National Consumer Helpline by calling 1915 or through the <a href="https://consumerhelpline.gov.in/" target="_blank">NCH mobile app</a></li> <li style="text-align:justify">File a complaint before the appropriate Consumer Commission through the e-Jagriti portal</li> <li style="text-align:justify">Submit a complaint to the District Collector or directly to the CCPA.</li> The CCPA is closely monitoring such practices across the country. Any violation, including the imposition of unfair or unauthorized charges by hotels and restaurants, will be dealt with appropriately, and necessary action shall be taken by the CCPA under the provisions of the Act to safeguard the interests of consumers. (The advisory is available on the Central Consumer Protection Authority’s website <a href="https://doca.gov.in/ccpa/guidelins.php" target="_blank">https://doca.gov.in/ccpa/guidelins.php</a>) *** RT/ ARC     " /> var mPlayer = document.getElementById("background_music"); var mPlayAction = document.getElementById("playbutton"); var isPlaying = false; function playAudio() { mPlayer.play(); isPlaying = true; document.getElementById('stopA').style.display = "block"; document.getElementById('playA').style.display = "none"; } function pauseAudio() { mPlayer.pause(); isPlaying = false; document.getElementById('playA').style.display = "block"; document.getElementById('stopA').style.display = "none"; } //function HandleAudio() { // if (isPlaying == true) { // //Playing already Pause it // pauseAudio(); // } else { // //Play the music // playAudio(); // } //} var synth = window.speechSynthesis; function CleanHtml(html) { html = html.replace(/ /gi, ''); return html; } function stripHtml(html) { let tmp = document.createElement("DIV"); tmp.innerHTML = CleanHtml(html); return tmp.textContent || tmp.innerText || ""; } $(document).ready(function () { //for responsive tables $("table").each(function () { if (!$(this).closest(".table-responsive").length) { $(this).wrap(" "); } }); var width = $(window).width(); if (width $(document).ready(function () { var width = $(window).width(); if (width @media print { .sticky-social, .sticky-social_mb, .pull-right, #printPDF { display: none !important; } } .f_vl { padding-right: 30px; font-size: 17px; cursor: pointer; } .log_oo { // width: 20%; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; } .log_oo img { width: 150px; /*width: 100%; height: auto;*/ } .sticky-social_mb { position: fixed; bottom: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; width: 100%; } .social_mb { list-style: none; display: flex; width: 100%; margin-bottom: -8px; } .social_mb a { padding: 8px 0px; font-size: 30px; transition: all 0.8s ease-in-out; width: 20% !important; text-align: center; } .section1 { position: relative; padding: 10px 0px; width: 100%; } .sticky-social { position: fixed; top: 20px; left: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; } .social { list-style: none; } .social a li { padding: 8px 12px; font-size: 25px; transition: all 0.8s ease-in-out; } .social a li:hover { margin-right: -30px; box-shadow: 2px 5px 10px grey; } .social a li:hover .fa { margin-left: 20px; } .fb_b { /* background-color: rgb(59, 89, 152);*/ background-color: rgba(65,103,178,255); } .twitter_r { /* background-color: rgb(29, 161, 242);*/ background-color: #000000; } .whatsapp_r { /* background-color: rgb(77, 194, 71);*/ background-color: rgba(13,191,67,255); } .fa-envelope_r { /* background-color: rgb(219, 68, 55);*/ background-color: #e2123d; } .fa-linkedin_r { background-color: rgb(0, 119, 181); } @media only screen and (max-device-width: 767px) { p span img { max-width: 90% !important; height: auto !important; } p img { max-width: 90% !important; height: auto !important; } h2 { font-size: 20px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; } h3 { font-size: 18px !important; font-weight: 600 !important; } } /* === Film Roll Badge Styling(IFFI2025 countdown) === */ .film-roll-badge { position: absolute; top:82%; right: 20px; width: 230px; height: 70px; background: repeating-linear-gradient( to right, #9a2375 0px, #9a2375 18px, #6e2b8b 18px, #6e2b8b 36px ); border-top: 8px solid #9a2375; border-bottom: 8px solid #9a2375; border-radius: 8px; overflow: hidden; box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4); animation: moveFilm 8s linear infinite; z-index: 10; } /* film sprocket holes */ .film-roll-badge::before, .film-roll-badge::after { content: ""; position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 10px; background: repeating-linear-gradient( to right, #9a2375 0px, #9a2375 10px, #fff 10px, #fff 20px ); left: 0; z-index: 2; } .film-roll-badge::before { top: -4px; } .film-roll-badge::after { bottom: -4px; } .film-roll-inner { position: relative; height: 100%; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; animation: flicker 2s infinite ease-in-out; } .countdown-text { font-size: 1.3rem; font-weight: 700; color: #fff; text-shadow: 0 0 6px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.4), 0 0 10px #000; white-space: nowrap; } /* === Animations === */ @keyframes moveFilm { 0% { background-position: 0 0; } 100% { background-position: 120px 0; } } @keyframes flicker { 0%, 100% { opacity: 1; } 50% { opacity: 0.9; } 25% { opacity: 0.95; } 75% { opacity: 0.85; } } /* === Responsive Adjustments === */ @media (max-width: 1500px) { .film-roll-badge { top: 68%; right: 18px; /* width: 220px; */ height: 65px; font-size: 0.85rem; } .press-section { margin-top: 35px; } } @media (max-width: 992px) { .film-roll-badge { top: 52%; right: 10px; width: 200px; height: 60px; } } @media (max-width: 768px) { .film-roll-badge { top: 56%; right: 10px; width: 124px; height: 55px; } .countdown-text { font-size: 0.9rem; } } @media (max-width: 576px) { .film-roll-badge { top: 59%; right: 5px; /* width: 160px; */ height: 50px; } .countdown-text { font-size: 0.85rem; } } const festivalStart = new Date("2025-11-20T00:00:00").getTime(); const festivalEnd = new Date("2025-11-28T23:59:59").getTime(); const countdownElement = document.getElementById("countdown"); const interval = setInterval(() => { const now = new Date().getTime(); // BEFORE FESTIVAL — show days + hours left if (now = festivalStart && now el.style.width = "350px"); clearInterval(interval); } }, 1000); //

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Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issues advisory to prevent unfair trade practices relating to levy of “LPG Charges” and similar charges in hotels and restaurants

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