<p>Hotels and restaurants in Karnataka will soon have to display boards saying ‘service charge’ is voluntary. They can’t add the charge in their bills either.<br /><br />Food and Civil Supplies Minister U T Khader told a press conference on Tuesday the government was acting on guidelines issued recently by the Centre.<br /><br />Service charge, a term used by restaurants for ‘tips,’ should remain voluntary, the Centre has said.<br />Khader said he would meet the hotel owners’ association and issue a notification soon. Hotels and restaurants cannot deny entry to consumers who refuse to pay service charge. Consumers who find violations can file complaints with the consumer courts, he said.<br /><br />Many restaurants collect 6 to 8% of the bill as service charge, with consumers remaining unaware that they are paying tips.<br /><br />Food inspectors and legal metrology officials will conduct random inspections, Khader said.<br /><br />The Centre has issued an advisory to all states, including Karnataka, to educate people on the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act of 1986.<br /><br />Khader said the department would also prevent waste of food at hotels, restaurants and marriage halls. The plan is to involve non-government organisations in a big way. They will distribute leftover food among the needy. “We have the right to food, but not the right to waste food,” he remarked.<br /><br />The minister said the government would supply a litre of kerosene every month to BPL families in rural areas, even if they have LPG connections. <br /><br />Two LED bulbs will be given free to each BPL family not using kerosene, he announced.<br />The government has relaxed the procedure to issue ration cards. All it takes is an application with eligibility self-certification, minister Khader said.<br /></p>
<p>Hotels and restaurants in Karnataka will soon have to display boards saying ‘service charge’ is voluntary. They can’t add the charge in their bills either.<br /><br />Food and Civil Supplies Minister U T Khader told a press conference on Tuesday the government was acting on guidelines issued recently by the Centre.<br /><br />Service charge, a term used by restaurants for ‘tips,’ should remain voluntary, the Centre has said.<br />Khader said he would meet the hotel owners’ association and issue a notification soon. Hotels and restaurants cannot deny entry to consumers who refuse to pay service charge. Consumers who find violations can file complaints with the consumer courts, he said.<br /><br />Many restaurants collect 6 to 8% of the bill as service charge, with consumers remaining unaware that they are paying tips.<br /><br />Food inspectors and legal metrology officials will conduct random inspections, Khader said.<br /><br />The Centre has issued an advisory to all states, including Karnataka, to educate people on the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act of 1986.<br /><br />Khader said the department would also prevent waste of food at hotels, restaurants and marriage halls. The plan is to involve non-government organisations in a big way. They will distribute leftover food among the needy. “We have the right to food, but not the right to waste food,” he remarked.<br /><br />The minister said the government would supply a litre of kerosene every month to BPL families in rural areas, even if they have LPG connections. <br /><br />Two LED bulbs will be given free to each BPL family not using kerosene, he announced.<br />The government has relaxed the procedure to issue ration cards. All it takes is an application with eligibility self-certification, minister Khader said.<br /></p>
