Hotel owners to stage protest from tomorrow

Govt disallowing dining-in at the behest of vested interests, says KHRA

The Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) is launching a protest against the State policy of not allowing dining-in at restaurants. The first phase of the protest will be carried out in front of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on September 22.

The association had put hold on the strike announced earlier this month after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s assurance that their plea would be considered. However, there has been no positive move so far and hence the strike, general secretary of the association, G.Jayapal, said. “Even primary schools are opening. We do not understand this bias against restaurants”, he said. The sit-in dharna at the Secretariat will be led by the State level office bearers of the organisation while dharnas will simultaneously be held in every district headquarters and KHRA units in the State, expressing solidarity to the leaders.

“We doubt vested interests behind this decision not to allow dine-in in restaurants even when most other sectors have been thrown open. The State government policy is helpful to the online monopolies to infringe on the market owned by small scale businesses in the State”, Mr. Jayapal said.