Siddu unveils his tryst with hotels

Love for food

Here, we are speaking about Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah, for whom hotel has become more than a home for the past five decades.

Participating in the valedictory of 16th State-level conference of Karnataka Pradesh Hotels Restaurants Association (KPHRA) at Rajendra Kalamandir here on Sunday, Siddaramaiah went on a nostalgic tour recalling his student days in 1960’s and the relationship with the hotels. It’s still continuing, said Siddaramaiah.

“Even after completing my education, the bond with hotels continued when I was practicing law in Mysore. Chandra Cafe (the place where Hotel Airlines stands now) was the place I visited regularly, and used to spend time till late hours”, said Siddaramaiah.
As a student he had maintained an ‘account’ in the hotels and was clearing the due as and whenever he got the money.

Said Siddaramaiah, however the taste of food in the hotels sure leaves a lot to be desired compared to those times in Mysore, only to be interrupted by a hotelier among the gathering. “It’s due to substandard ingredients”, said the hotelier. Siddaramaiah in a lighter vein replied ‘we should not stoop to that low’.  He recalled the mouth watering set dosa of Raju Hotel (extinct now) near Agrahara circle on Sayyaji Rao Road. When he couldn’t recollect the name of the hotel, Siddaramaiah could recall the style of the man sitting on cash box who was always quick at moving hands, rising his shoulders simultaneously even if there were hardly a few customers to attend to at that time. Pat the gathering burst out with laughter adding some spice to the already chilly evening.

On the demands made by KPHRA to waive off entry tax, revise tax and industry status for hotels among several others, Siddaramaiah promised that he would take up their demands with the authorities concerned at an appropriate time. He said it’s imperative to encourage hotel industry that is growing in tandem with tourism industry, especially in tier-II cities.

He advised the hoteliers to create more employment opportunities as most of the hotels are adopting self-service system.