KOCHI: Members of the state and Ernakulam district committees of the All-Kerala Caterers Association (AKCA) will organise a one-day protest in the city on Monday demanding the government to take steps to bring down prices of the essential commodities. Leaders of various socio-political organisations will address the protest which will be held at Marine Drive here from 2pm and continue late into the night, AKCA office-bearers told reporters on Friday.
The association’s demands include controlling the prices of essential commodities, initiating action against people running catering business without proper licence, protecting the food industry, declaring catering sector as an essential service and a small-scale industry and ensure the quality of raw materials.
AKCA president Prince George said the catering sector is heading towards a major crisis owing to the sharp rise in the prices of essential commodities such as onion.
“Prices of vegetables, fish, meat and others have also skyrocketed in the past couple of months. The price rise has affected lakhs of employees, their families and others depend on the catering sector and owners alike,” he said. AKCA functionaries said if this continues, suicides will soon be reported from the catering sector. They said the Centre and the state government should intervene and take steps to protect the catering sector.