A restaurant in Ella has been fined Rs. 1 million for selling a one-litre bottle of drinking water at twice the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) prescribed by the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA).
Legal action was taken against Mandala Cafe & Bar Pvt Ltd, located at No. 18, Railway Station Road, Ella, after CAA officers detected the violation during a raid.
According to the CAA, officers found that the restaurant was selling a one-litre bottle of drinking water for Rs. 200, although the applicable MRP at the time was Rs. 100.
The Rs. 100 MRP had been prescribed under Order No. 93, published in Extraordinary Gazette No. 2430/15 dated April 1, 2025, which was in force when the raid was conducted.
When the case was taken up before the Bandarawela Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday (23), the company pleaded guilty to the charge. The court subsequently imposed a Rs. 1 million fine.
The CAA, however, stressed that the Rs. 100 price applicable at the time of the offence is not the current MRP for a one-litre bottle of drinking water.
Under Extraordinary Gazette No. 2492/29 dated June 10, 2026, the current MRP for locally packaged bottled drinking water is Rs. 80 for 500ml–999ml, Rs. 120 for 1L–1.499L, Rs. 150 for 1.5L–1.999L, Rs. 180 for 2L–2.499L and Rs. 400 for 5L–6.999L bottles. Accordingly, the current MRP for a 1L–1.499L bottle of drinking water is Rs. 120.
The CAA urged consumers purchasing bottled water from restaurants, cafés, hotels, resorts and other retail establishments to check the applicable MRP and obtain a bill or receipt to verify the amount charged.
It also reminded tourist hotels, restaurants, cafés, resorts and other traders that operating in a tourist area or any other location does not permit them to sell products above a prescribed MRP.
Consumers can report overcharging for bottled drinking water and other market irregularities to the Consumer Affairs Authority through its 1977 hotline. (Newswire)