In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister K V Thomas said, "Yes sir", the government is aware of such unfair practices.
However, the "scope for legal action against such practice is limited," because the Delhi High Court in a writ petition has held: "charging prices for mineral water in excess of MRP printed during the service of customers in hotels and restaurants does not violate any of the provisions of the Standards of Weights and Measures Act", he said.
The Court further said that it does not constitute a sale or transfer of the commodity by the hotelier or restaurateur to its customers, he added.
To create awareness about consumer rights, Thomas mentioned that the government runs several media campaigns to make consumers aware about the maximum retail price (MRP).
Mineral water in hotels are restaurants are normally charged more than double the MRP.
