Darshinis to up food rates by 20-30%

Darshinis to up food rates by 20-30%
Hike Forced By High Cost Of LPG, Cereals: Hotel Owners
The Times of India

Bangalore: If darshini meant cheap and fast food, watch out: All food prices at these famed eating joints in Bangalore are set to go up by 20-30 per cent.

The delicious idli-vada combo, which used to be priced at Rs 12, is expected to cost Rs 15. And that steaming hot cup of coffee that costs an average of Rs 4 will now be dearer by a rupee.

Not pinching pockets? But then, most Bangaloreans eat in these darshinis at least once a day, making it a huge amount of money.

The darshinis have their own take on the situation. The last increase they effected was two years back. “We have no option but to effect a hike, as the costs of LPG, cooking oil, cereals and other raw materials, required by the hotel industry, have gone up manifold in the last one year,’’ Bangalore Hotel Owners’ Association joint secretary B Ganesh Rao told The Times of India.

There are over 5,000 darshinis in Bangalore. Posters announcing the imminent hike have been put up in majority of them, but without mentioning the date of it coming into effect. “Some hotels have already increased the rates discreetly. We want to create an awareness among the people about our problems before announcing the hike,’’ Rao said.

This is what the poster campaign says: A 19-kg non-domestic LPG cylinder cost Rs 695 in Feb, increased to Rs 711 in April, Rs 741 in Sept, Rs 836 in October and touched Rs 870 now — a jump of Rs 175! Private gas suppliers charge close to Rs 900 per cylinder. Water tariff is Rs 43 per kilo-litre, power Rs 5 to Rs 6.30 per unit. So the hike is inevitable.

Hotel owner Vasu has more woes to add: “Urad dal has shot up from Rs 37 to Rs 52 in two months. Vegetable and transportation costs have gone up due to rain. How can we run our business at this rate?’’