Massive raids on hotels

Thursday saw a series raids across the district by the district Health Department, the Corporation and the Food Safety and Standards Wing. As many as 40 eateries, including bakeries, in the city have been closed and over 258 have been given notices to improve their conditions in minimum time.


Meanwhile, unauthorised wayside eateries have also been banned in the city. The district health department began its raids as early as 6 am.


“We have inspected all kinds of eateries including hotels, restaurants, cool bars, bakeries and other food joints. The main reason for action has been unsanitary conditions including absence of waste management mechanism. Action has been initiated against hotels which did not have the licences and health cards,” said the District Health Officer, P N Sreenivasan.



NORMS


As per the norms a hotel employee is supposed  to have a health card stating that he is healthy and free of any communicable diseases. The health card is also to be renewed periodically. Most of the hotels did not have these health cards.


The raids were conducted under 20 block-level primary health centre, including Angamaly, Kunnukara, Pallarimangalam, Pampakuda, Nettoor, Pizhala, Varapetty, Varapuzha, Vengoor, Vadavancode, Pandapilly,  Ramamangalam, Ezhikkara, Chendamad, Cheranalloor, Kumbalangi, Malipuram, Kalady, Keecheri and Malayidamthuruth.


The maximum number of hotels were shut down in Angamaly (17), followed by Malipuram (8) and Pampakuda (3).


The restaurants have been asked to rectify their conditions and submit themselves for inspection from the health inspector.


The Food Safety and Standards Wing also conducted raids in Angamaly and Nedumbassery. Two hotels were shut down and 7 were given notices.


The Corporation conducted raids on 16 hotels, of which eight were given notices and two shut down.


CLOSED TOMORROW


Meanwhile, the Kerala Hotel and Restaurants Association has announced that all restaurants in the state will down their shutters on Saturday as a mark of protest.


“The officers can give notices on how to improve the conditions and give warnings but they have no right to shut the restaurants,” said KHRA secretary Jose Mohan.