Week-long raids in the run-up to Diwali in the Secunderabad Cantonment have exposed the unpalatable underbelly of the restaurant industry operating in the city. The exercise has now prompted a sea-change in the cantonment’s hotel management policy.
The sanitation wing of the cantonment board seized six food installations this week, including a sweetshop and a bakery. Officials found that all the kitchens had employees living in them, replete with a toilet. The faulting institutions have been given a list of corrective measures and a week’s time to comply before they can operate again.
“We were shocked when we found employees living and washing in the kitchen. In most cases, the lavatories were unwashed and the kitchens lacked cleanliness,” said SCB’s sanitation inspector A. Mahender, adding that even noted institutions were flouting norms.
The installations seized by the board including Agra Sweets in West Marredpally, Mother India Hotel at Diamond Point, Grill 9 in Karkhana, Raghvendra Bakery in Lal Bazaar, and Saba Hotel in Trimulgherry.
Among other violations, sanitation officials noted that many food outlets also used the pavement for cooking, exposing food to vehicular pollution.
The surprise checks were conducted after receiving complaints, SCB CEO Sujata Gupta said. “The raids will continue until the food outlets comply with hygiene norms. Our teams conduct surprise checks and verify hygiene standards against a checklist of 16 points,” Ms. Gupta said.
