It refers to initiative of Income Tax Department to scrutinise anti-consumer practice of levying service-charge by many hotels and restaurants to ensure that the amount so levied reaches to staff of concerned hotels and restaurants rather than being pocketed by owners as their additional income. Perhaps such an initiative by Income Tax Department may discourage hotels and restaurants to discontinue such anti-consumer practice. But it is quite likely that staff of hotels and restaurants may not be benefitted through such initiative of Income Tax Department, because owners may be employing staff with less salary taking into consideration such extra income of employees while negotiating salary.
It is unfortunate that Department of Consumer Affairs failed in its duty to ban levying of service-charges in bills of hotels and restaurants. Government-advisories on such issues are gimmick to befool consumers. It should be probed why Department of Consumer Affairs does not officially and legally ban practice of levying service-charge by hotels and restaurants especially when the Department itself considers the practice improper.
MADHU AGRAWAL