THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government’s plan to introduce classification for hotels and restaurants in the state continues to remain on paper.
The trumpeted policy was drafted by the UDF government as soon as it came to power to ensure quality and safe food at reasonable rates to the citizens.
However, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob said that the hotel rates control Bill would be rolled out soon. Currently, the eateries are jacking up the rates at will with no regulatory body to keep a tab on the fleecing.
“We have decided to form district-level authorities to classify all eateries. We have drafted a nine-point plan and the authorities will function based on these guidelines. They will be friendly towards consumers and food business operators. The rates of the food items will be fixed based on the price index in the open market,”said Mr Anoop Jacob.
He said that it was high time the state drafted a law to regulate the price in hotels. “Earlier, the HC had passed a ruling against the effort of the authorities to regulate price hike at hotels citing the absence of a law. Now we have one,” said Mr Anoop Jacob.
Earlier, the Commissionerate of Food Safety had carried out a study to introduce hotel classification.
