The Bandarawela Magistrate’s Court has imposed a Rs.1 million fine on a food outlet for selling a 500ml bottle of drinking water above the approved Maximum Retail Price (MRP).
The outlet sold the bottle for Rs.100. However, the MRP at the time of the raid was Rs.70.
The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) found the violation during a raid at a food court on the first floor of the Cargills Building at Bandarawela Hotel, Welimada Road, Bandarawela.
The authorities took the case before the Bandarawela Magistrate’s Court on September 23, 2026. The court then fined the defendant establishment Rs.1 million.
CAA Clarifies Current Water Bottle Price
The CAA has also clarified that the Rs.70 MRP applied only when the raid took place. It is not the current MRP for a 500ml bottle of drinking water.
Under Extraordinary Gazette No. 2492/29 dated June 10, 2026, the current MRP for a 500ml bottle of bottled drinking water is Rs.80.
Therefore, consumers should use Rs.80 as the current MRP when checking the price of a 500ml bottle. The Rs.70 figure mentioned in the court case relates only to the price that applied when the CAA carried out the raid.
The CAA said consumers can report overcharging and other market irregularities through its 1977 hotline during office hours.
Last modified: September 27, 2026
