Bhubaneswar, March 26 -- A seemingly small move by a Bengaluru cafe snowballed into a nationwide conversation when it added a 5% "gas crisis charge" to its bill. A customer shared the receipt online, and it quickly went viral-sparking mixed reactions. While some sympathized with rising operational costs, others questioned why such charges weren't already included in menu prices.

What began as an isolated incident soon exposed a growing trend, prompting intervention from the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA).

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Stepping in firmly, the CCPA issued an advisory under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, making it clear...