Bill to regulate prices in Kerala hotels lapses

Kochi: The much-debated Kerala Hotels (Food Price Regulation) Bill brought in by the UDF ministry to regulate the price of food items in hotels and restaurants has lapsed.  As per the  latest information given by the State Food and Civil Supplies Department,  the Bill  lapsed owing to the failure of the last government to table it  in the last Assembly session.

The Bill was published as an extraordinary gazette on February 6, 2016 but the same was not tabled in the 13th Assembly, the letter sent by  D. Meera, Deputy Secretary said.  Kottayam native P.H. Haris  received the information on his RTI query about the much-hyped Bill. Haris  keeps  a tab on the government initiatives to check food prices.

According to experts,  though the Bill has  lapsed,  the new government can pass it if it wants.   Food and Civil Supplies Minister P. Thilothaman told Deccan Chronicle that he will look into the issue and check the details. Meanwhile,   former Food and Civil Supplies minister Anoop Jacob said that if the new government has  the will,  it can pass the Bill.

“We passed the Bill even after the hotels in Kerala came out against the government decision to check eateries from charging high price for food items. The Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association had even asked  the government to roll back the proposed Bill on checking the exorbitant food prices in  hotels,” Anoop Jacob said. He added that the Opposition struggle in the last Assembly session was the reason for the previous ministry not to table the Bill.