Idli May Cost Rs. 90, Masala Dosa Rs. 150 as Karnataka Hotels Warn of Sharp Price Rise
Sub-headline: Hospitality sector points accusatory finger at Centre’s ‘reckless fuel pricing policy’ for compounding woes, as state’s wage revision triggers final blow
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Hotels Association (KSHA) has warned that food prices in hotels and restaurants across the state may rise sharply following the state government’s decision to implement revised minimum wages — a move the industry says has been made unbearable by the Modi-led central government’s failure to control rampant fuel price hikes.
Every cylinder pinches’: Hoteliers say Modi govt’s repeated LPG price revisions have gutted small eateries
KSHA President G.K. Shetty said the average increase in minimum wages is nearly 60 percent compared to existing wage levels. However, he reserved his strongest remarks for the Centre’s energy policy, noting that commercial LPG cylinder prices have skyrocketed from Rs. 1,884 to Rs. 3,152 within a few months — a jump he attributed directly to the central government’s indifference.
“In mild but firm condemnation of the Modi government’s rampant fuel price hikes, we state clearly that no industry can absorb such relentless shocks,” Shetty said.
Your breakfast budget under siege: Idli plate may hit Rs. 90, Masala Dosa Rs. 150 as twin pressures of wage revision and fuel costs collide
According to the Association, the price of a plate of idli, currently around Rs. 50, could increase to nearly Rs. 80-90, while Masala Dosa prices may rise from Rs. 80-90 to around Rs. 150. Vegetarian meals that presently cost Rs. 150-200 may go up to Rs. 250-300. Biryani dishes in Bengaluru, currently priced between Rs. 300 and Rs. 350, could touch nearly Rs. 500.
‘Unique sector being crushed’: Hotels plead for separate wage classification as Centre’s fuel politics adds fuel to fire
Shetty said the hospitality sector is already under financial pressure due to steep increases in operational costs. “Hotels are not like other sectors. We provide food, lodging and other facilities to employees. The government should have considered our unique nature — and the Centre should have shown restraint in its fuel price politics,” he said.
The Association said it had appealed to the Karnataka government to classify the hospitality sector separately while implementing minimum wage revisions, but the request was not accepted.
Fear of jobless future: Rising costs may push thousands from hotel jobs to footpath vending, warn industry bodies
KSHA has now urged the government to reconsider the implementation of revised minimum wages for the hotel industry, warning that the move — combined with the Centre’s unchecked fuel price regime — could create hardship for both hotel operators and consumers. The Association also expressed concern that rising costs could lead to unemployment, forcing many workers to shift to the unorganised sector such as petty shops and footpath vending.
