HYDERABAD: The MCH is determined to keep the heat on hotels and other eating establishments in the twin cities by conducting surprise inspections as part of its drive to ensure better hygiene and sanitation standards.

Already the health and sanitation officials are being besieged with calls from citizens in different parts of the city complaining about the various hotels in their localities (outside MCH area too) urging them to undertake similar inspections, claim senior officials. "We have been unable to pin down erring hotel owners/managers under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA) due to cumbersome legal processes.

Court scrutiny

Our food inspectors are not equipped to build up an ironclad case that can hold ground during court scrutiny. Most of the time they are bogged down with collecting samples," reasons an official.

So, the best way to deal with them is to `convince' them to clean up their act, as we cannot close them down immediately, he argues. But exposing them in the media has had its effect.

Hotel managements are said to be knocking on the corporation doors seeking assistance in sprucing up their kitchens, proper storage of food material and general upkeep.

This has also given an opportunity for MCH to correct a lacuna in its functioning. When a permission is given for running a hotel, it was never accompanied by a list of rules and regulations to be followed with regard to personal hygiene of workers, preservation of food, preparation and toilets.

Revised rules

No objection certificates were being issued and trade licences renewed without looking into these aspects. Even in the revised rules announced a fortnight ago, MCH had only talked about adequate parking space, bulk garbage contract and residential/commercial zones ignoring the hygiene aspect.

Now, it has decided to frame a booklet of rules to be followed sourcing from the PFA Act, National Institute of Nutrition, Veterinary Biological Research Institute (VBRI), among others to be released soon.

"It is unfortunate that even popular hotels are callous about hygiene norms. We caught one cook of a famous Chinese restaurant preparing food items, carrying an injury.

A small percentage of their profit spent on cleanliness is the least they can do for their patrons," says an official.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail