Your food set to get cheaper as service charge on restaurant bills could go

PMO's help sought to scrap service charge; even mentioning service charge in the invoice is illegal

Hotels and restaurants might find it all the more difficult to levy service charge on food items sold by them after even mentioning it in the invoice, as the Department of Consumer Affairs has sought the help of Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for sending the necessary directions to states for action.

Briefing reporters today, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said that levying service charge and mentioning it in menu cards itself is illegal practice.  

Few months back the ministry had sent an advisory to states directing them to stop this illegal practice, but some states didn’t