Thiruvananthapuram: Following hike in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), restaurants in Kerala have increased the price of various food items. A hotel near the state secretariat here raised the price of a vegetarian meal by Rs 5 on Thursday. Several other restaurants have also followed this.

The hike in LPG prices was initiated by petroleum and oil marketing companies, which raised the cost of commercial LPG cylinders by Rs 350.50 per unit and domestic LPG cylinders by Rs 50 per unit, effective from Wednesday.

In response, the Hotel and Restaurant Association clarified that they had not issued any directive to increase price of food items. Instead, they protested the LPG price hike by displaying black flags and pasting posters in front of hotels. According to the association's vice-president, Jayaradhan Nair, the increase in prices of vegetables and other items, in addition to the LPG prices, makes it difficult for restaurants to function. Even street vendors will have to pay an additional Rs 10,000 per month due to the LPG price hike. Nair stated that the owners cannot be blamed if they hike the rates.

Additionally, the Kerala government requires water testing to be conducted every six months, which costs Rs 2,000.