Corp to ensure toilets in eateries
Tags:
With the Local Self-Government Department dispatching queries to local bodies enquiring how many hotels and restaurants have toilet facilities on their premises, the Corporation has decided to enforce the same within its limits.
While the Aluva Municipality has initiated steps to identify the number of hotels and restaurants without toilets within its limits, Kochi Corporation health standing committee chairman T.K. Ashraf said that a special drive in this regard will be initiated soon.
"Toilets are already mandatory for hotels and restaurants, but they don't provide them, causing a lot of inconvenience to the public.
Hence we have decided to launch a special drive to enforce toilet facilities in all hotels and restaurants," he said.
Several bakeries within city limits have provision for eating.
"The Corporation is thinking of enforcing toilets in such places also and we will call a meeting with the bakers' association to discuss the issue and then decide how to implement it in bakeries," Mr Ashraf said.
The Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) resents the move of the Kochi Corporation to enforce toilets in restaurants.
"The Corporation authorities are finding one reason or the other to fleece the hotels after their powers were taken away by the new food safety Act.
The Corporation's move can be justified if it enforces toilets for newly sanctioned restaurants or sets it as a condition for sanctioning new restaurants.
But how can it impose toilets on small and medium hotels that have been functioning for years together? From where will they get additional space for this," asked Jose Mohan, secretary of KHRA.
He said that if the Corporation forces closure of such restaurants, the association will approach the High Court.
Post new comment