Mangaluru: DYFI staged a protest by setting up a mobile canteen selling food items for affordable price in front of the DC office here on February 13.
Addressing the protesters, DYFI district president Dayananda Shetty said that cooking gas, diesel and petrol prices have been drastically reduced. “The district administration has reduced the bus as well as the auto fare, but failed to bring down the prices of eatables in the hotels.”
He further said that the prices differ from hotel to hotel and the district administration do not have control over the price. “A daily wage labourer goes to the hotels as they do not have permanent jobs and have to pay high price for food. In Tamilnadu, the government has launched ‘Amma Canteen’ and is helping the poor people to afford food. If the Tamilnadu government can start Amma Canteen, why can the state government not start a canteen where the poor people can get food at cheaper prices?”
“Mangaluru is number one in Malaria and other diseases. In hotels, it is compulsory to provide warm or hot water, but they are not following the rules. Hygiene is also not maintained in some hotels. If the hotels will not reduce the price for eatables, we will intensify our protest,” he warned.
District vice president of DYFI D K Imtiyaz addressing the protesters said that the people who work as daily wage labourers, go to the hotels but the hotels overcharge them. “Cooking gas price has been reduced by 50%, but the price for food has not been reduced in the hotels. The price for chicken and fish has also gone down. KFC outlets have come to our district and are making good money. They know that the people of Mangaluru are ready to pay any amount without questioning.”
He also said that the DYFI has set a mobile canteen and is selling food for reasonable price. “We sell Idli for Rs 5 (2 peices), out of which we make a profit of Rs 3. If the district administration will not call a meeting with the hotel owners to reduce the price, we will set up mobile canteens and sell food at a cheaper price.” He also said that the Kerala and the Tamilnadu governments have started canteens and provide food at reasonable price, likewise “let the state government take measures to open Siddaramaiah or Sonia Canteens in the state to provide food for the people at reasonable prices.”
Later the protesters sold food items at reasonable price.