Villupuram hotel owner fined Rs 35,000 for omitting pickle from food parcel

VILLUPURAM: Very few people check if all curries are included while buying food from hotels. However, the hotel owner had to pay a fine of Rs 35,000 to the customer for not putting pickles in the food purchased as parcel. The action was taken on a complaint lodged by a person named Aarogaswamy of Valudareddy in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu.

The incident took place on November 28, 2022. Arogyaswamy decided to buy the food packets as parcels to give them to the old age home on the death anniversary of his relative. For this, he went to the Balamurugan restaurant in Villupuram and enquired the price of meal. The hotel owner informed that 70 rupees per meal is 80 rupees per parcel. He was informed that that there will be 11 types of dishes in the parcel. Accordingly 25 lunch packs were ordered. Rs 2000 was also paid as advance.

The next day, the parcel was delivered. When asked for the bill, the shopkeeper gave it in writing on a piece of paper. While delivering the parcels at the old age home, he got to know that there was no pickle. Arogyaswamy immediately went to the hotel and inquired about the matter. The hotel owner's explanation was that the pickle was omitted from the parcel. Arogyaswami asked to refund the price of 25 packets of pickles, but the hotel owner refused to pay. This led to an argument between them. Arogyaswami filed a complaint in Villupuram District Consumer Grievance Committee following this.

Chairman Satish Kumar, members Meera Moiteen and Amala, who heard the case, observed that the non-supply of pickle in the meal purchased by the parcel was a deficiency in the hotel's service. They also ordered the hotel owner to pay Rs 30,000 as compensation, Rs 5,000 for litigation costs and Rs 25 for pickles.

The hotel owner was given 45 days to pay the compensation amount. The District Consumer Grievance Committee also warned that if this is not paid, an additional penalty of nine percent interest per month will be levied. Arogyaswamy was also elected as the state president of All Consumers Public Environmental Welfare Association.