Hyderabad: Owaisi, hotel owners meet TG SAFE head over raids

Hyderabad: Members of the Twin Cities Hotel Owners Association along with Hyderabad Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Asaduddin Owaisi met the commissioner of the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) on Monday, November 9, over the recent suspension of FSSAI licenses (leading to closures) of hotels for violation of food safety norms.

Representatives from the oldest and popular joins like Hotel Nayaab, Grand Hotel, Imperial Hotel etc were present at the meeting with TG SAFE commissioner Avinash Mohanty. Owaisi, on behalf of the hotel owners held the meeting wherein he said that the commissioner was requested to first issue notices and then give time to hotels in case of violations instead of simply closing the establishments directly.

The meeting comes just days after TG SAFE officials raided and suspended the FSSAI licenses of eight hotels including Nayaab on October 31. Officials inspected 22 restaurants and found unhygienic kitchens, cockroach and housefly infestations, spoiled vegetables, fungal contamination, expired food products and improper storage of raw and cooked food.

Several establishments were also found using cooking oil repeatedly, while food handlers were working without hairnets and aprons.Show-cause notices were issued to eight establishments, including Taj Falaknuma Palace at Engine Bowli, Hotel Sabzi at Charminar, Pista House at Shah Ali Banda, Sweekar Hotel at Santosh Nagar, Mandi@36 Arabian Kitchen at Charminar, Golconda Hotel and Resorts at Masab Tank, Imperial Multicuisine Restaurant at Tolichowki and Taiba Bakery at Bazarghat.

Hotels in Hyderabad will follow all safety rules: Owaisi

After the meeting, Owaisi, speaking to the media, said, “We told the commissioner that what they are doing is right, but to also first issue notices before shutting down a place immediately. Many of the affected places are old establishments and closures will affect their reputations. In one case we pointed out that the six points mentioned for closure was not even cited, so he called officers to check the issue.”

The Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP also stated that cleanliness has to be maintained and that customers should get safe food. He added that all the hotel owners have said they will follow the food safety regulations and have hence requested the commissioner first to issue a notice and then give them a week to comply. Owaisi added that another meeting will be held in the next eight to 10 days which will also be attended by the TG SAFE officials.

One of the affected hotel owners told Siasat.com that the TG SAFE commissioner had pointed out certain specific issues that are followed in case of closing down any establishment. “In our case we pointed out that none of those rules had been violated and that an improvement notice would have sufficed,” he added.

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