As hotels are shut to protest the hike in the prices of commercial LPG cylinders, people gather on Goshree Road in Kochi to buy food from a roadside vendor.
Hundreds of people went hungry as restaurants remained closed on Wednesday as part of a 24-hour nationwide strike called by the Kerala Hotels and Restaurants Association (KHRA).
The symbolic strike was called to protest against the increase in the prices of commercial LPG cylinders.
Hotel owners closed their shops and staged protest marches and staged dharnas in front of oil companies and central government institutions across the state. The march and dharna held at the IOC office in Panampilly Nagar, Kochi was launched by KHRA State President G. Jayapal.
Union police officers regretted the inconvenience caused to the public due to the strike and said the decision was taken to bring the issue to the attention of the public and the government.
All roadside hotels, restaurants and canteens remained closed, indicating the dire situation the industry is heading towards, Mr. Jayapal said.
The hoteliers further stated that they were not enthusiastic about the increase in food prices and the transfer of the burden to the public. “We want the prices to come down to a little less than half of what is being announced. Otherwise, moving the business forward would be almost impossible,” Mr Jayapal said.
VT Hariharan, district president of the Ernakulam association, said the token strike was aimed at drawing the government’s attention to the issue. “We hope the government will take notice of the problem and make changes. If the price hike is not withdrawn, we will be forced to increase food prices even if we don’t want to,” said Mr. Hariharan.
KB Sasi, restaurant owner and president of the Perumbavoor KHRA unit, said that there has already been a price hike of over ₹1,000 in the last three months. “Earlier, the increase would have been ₹100 or ₹200. But this time it was a jump that was just ₹7 short of ₹1,000. This is worrying as we cannot sustain business if cylinder prices rise like this,” he added.
Demonstration with a torch
Meanwhile, the All Kerala Caterers Association (AKCA) is all set to organize a nationwide protest and strike to shut down the kitchen against the price hike. As part of the strike, a torchlight demonstration will be organized from Vanchi Square to Menaka Junction in the city on Thursday evening. Officials announced that catering and kitchen establishments will stage protests in front of district and central government institutions on Friday, demanding the withdrawal of the hike.
Published – 06 May 2026 22:28 IST
