Unaware about the initiative taken up to promote ‘Swacchta Challenge’ in hotels, restaurants by Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) under the tag ‘Swacch Hotel Competition’ several hotels and eatery joint owners, even after the formal launch of the competition, are clueless about the challenge that aims to promote hygiene at hotels due to the slipshod approach of the civic body.
“We are not aware about the competition else we would have got our names enrolled in the competition as this is one serious attempt to check out the level of hygiene being maintained at the hotels these days,” said, Hotel Manager, Oak Grove Bar and lounge, Vikash Kumar.
However, this is not a single case where the hotel owners and managing staffs are uninformed about the competitions but there are several others as well in the list who do not have any idea about what exactly this competition is all aboutIJ
In spite of Central Government’s constant effort to achieve the target of Swacch Bharat Mission by 2019, the municipal corporation has just managed to involve only 20 hotels in the competition. The competition that kicked off officially on April 1 is conceptualized on the lines of the flagship programme Swacch Bharat Mission contents.
Showing despair over the response of hotel managements, RMC City Manager, Sandeep Kumar, said, “Forget about the response of small restaurant owners, some renowned hoteliers have straight away denied participating in this coveted challenge. After giving much emphasis also owner of Kaveri Restaurant that runs several food and beverages eatery joints have kept themselves aloof from this project.”
The two week programme that will be concluded on April 14 is mainly based on five parameters that focuses on cleanliness, garbage disposal pattern where presence of vermicompost and biocomposting pits are mandatory on hotel premises, condition of dustbins and toilets, solid waste user charges are being paid to the civic body or not including the quality of food being served to public.
The team formed under RMC Health Officer Dr. Kiran Kumari and three city managers will visit the hotels and compile a detailed report seeking all unique components as per the competition format. However due to lack of apathy from hotel owners side, the competition may mislay its significance despite advertising about it on a wide scale, said the Additional Municipal Commissioner.
“Negligence from hotel owner’s side reflects the lack of civic sense. The civic body can only try and motivate public to be the part of such types of competition but cannot compel any individual or entity to do so. As per the competition guidelines also, the Municipal Corporation cannot compel any hotel owner’s to register themselves in this competition. The officials are approaching the hotel owners and management to participate in the competition,” added Additional Municipal
Commissioner Bidyanand Sharma Pankaj.
Notably, according to the survey conducted by RMC recently, there are approximately 95 small, medium and big hotels and restaurants functioning in State Capital. Before the final inspection begins, RMC officials at present are conducting the draft survey.
“In the first week, from April 1 to April 7, while conducting the draft survey, the team members are trying to describe about the competition format to the hoteliers. Emphasis is more on how to improve the sanitation level at hotels. The final inspection will begin from April 8,” added the city manager.
Even after receiving lackadaisical response from the hotel owners, separate team to advertise about the competition, explaining the contents, formats about the competition have been formed by the civic body officials.
“Through rigorous advertisements, we are trying to rope in quite a number of hotels, restaurants. All mediums are being utilized for making this competition a success,” said the RMC Health officer.
Interestingly, top three hotels after winning the coveted tag of ‘Swacch Hotel competition’ at district level will compete with each other at State level competition where top hotels from all districts will participate.
State team formed under State Urban Development Agency (SUDA) will finally rank the hotels, restaurants after fulfilling all dynamics of sanitation and hygiene.