Crackdown on unlicensed hotels

Thiruvananthapuram: The City Corporation will step up raids to detect unlicensed hotels and eateries functioning in unhygienic conditions.

Chairman of the Health standing committee G.R. Anil told the Corporation Council here on Friday that the local body had received complaints about eateries and hotels discharging waste water and littering public places. He said special squads would carry out periodic raids to identify such institutions and take steps to close them down.

Mr. Anil said the squads had been directed to take video footage of the conditions in the hotels before initiating action to close them down. �The video tapes can be used as evidence. They will also be used to apprise the associations representing hotel and restaurant owners and seek their cooperation in enforcing regulations aimed at keeping the institutions clean and hygienic, he added.

The council approved the draft document of the projects to be taken up under the Peoples Plan Campaign during the 11 {+t} {+h} five year Plan. As many as 298 projects will be taken up during the Plan period utilising a development fund outlay of Rs.54.94 crore and maintenance grant of Rs.12.90 crore.