Pleasure will soon go out of eating out

KOCHI: With the price of the LPG cylinders for commercial purpose soaring, the hotel owners in the city are left with no choice other than to increase the prices of food items.The office-bearers of the Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) said the cost of LPG cylinders used in eateries saw a steep increase of more than 100 per cent during the last one year.“In April 2011, the price of one gas cylinder for commercial purpose was Rs 800.Now it stands at Rs 1,879, which means over 100 per cent hike within one year.An average hotel in the city needs nearly three cylinders a day, that means Rs 5,637 a day for meeting the cooking gas expenses alone,” said KHRA secretary Jose Mohan.He said the hotel owners would have to burn cooking gas worth Rs 3 to make a single cup of tea.“Along with this, the rise in the price of commodities like sugar, groceries, vegetables and meat adds to the burden.At this stage, the association cannot blame the restaurant owners if they go for a price hike.It is really impossible now to run the hotel business,” he added.Mohan said that the KHRA had already requested Petroleum Minister Jaipal Reddy to reconsider the frequent price hike of cooking gas for eateries.“We have submitted a memorandum to the minister in this regard.We are not against price hike, but they should do go for an increase on a par with other petroleum products’ prices.The cost of gas for domestic purpose is only Rs 424 a cylinder.This itself shows the price disparity,” he added.He said the state executive meeting of KHRA, scheduled on mid-April, would take further decisions on intensifying the protests against the strike.The association has also exhorted the hotel and restaurant owners to close down hotels and restaurants Burning price hike* The office-bearers of the Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) said the cost of LPG cylinders used in eateries saw a steep increase of more than 100 per cent during the last one year * An average hotel in the city needs nearly three cylinders a day, that means Rs 5,637 a day for meeting the cooking gas expenses alone, said KHRA secretary Jose Mohan * The KHRA has requested Petroleum Minister Jaipal Reddy to reconsider the frequent price hike of cooking gas.