Bengaluru: Stating that the Government will take measures to prevent wastage of food at Hotels, restaurants and marriage halls, Food and Civil Supplies Minister U.T. Khader on Tuesday said that there were plans to involve Non-Government Organisations (NGO’s) in a big way.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, Khader said NGOs will be engaged to ensure that the leftover food will be distributed among the needy.

“We have the right to eat food, but do not have the right to waste food,” he remarked. Referring to service charge in hotels, the Minister said hotels and restaurants in Karnataka will soon have to display boards saying ‘Service Charge’ is voluntary.

Pointing out that the Government was acting on the guidelines issued recently by the Centre, Khader said the Centre has said that service charge, a term used by restaurants for ‘tips’ should remain voluntary. Many restaurants collect 6 to 8 percent of the bill as service charge, with consumers remaining unaware that they are paying tips.

Khader said he would meet the Hotel Owners Association and issue a notification soon. Hotels and Restaurants cannot deny entry to consumers who refuse to pay service charge. Consumers who find violations, can file complaints with the Consumer Courts, he said and added that Food Inspector and Legal Metrology officials will conduct random inspections.

The Minister further said the Government would supply a litre of kerosene every month to BPL families to rural areas, even if they have LPG connections.

Khader also announced that two LED bulbs will be given to each BPL family that is not using kerosene.

Ration cards: Stating that the Government has relaxed the procedure to issue ration cards, Khader said  all it takes is an application with eligibility self-certification. The department will later verify the authenticity of the details provided and act if they are false, he added.