The Parliament today approved of an authority called FHAB. This authority will have the full authority over the establishment, running, pricing of food joints, junk food manufacturers, how much can be given at one serving, pricing, training, etc. of food and health organisations. Their first action was on the East India Hotels and Indian Hotels questioning their pricing of Idli at Rs. 750 + taxes for a plate.

The regulations will be placed before the parliament and is likely to be met by a lot of opposition from Mamta Banerjee. She felt that the price limit on Idli should be introduced with immediate effect. It is also clear that there will be no limit on who can manufacture idli – but they will have to go through a registration and certification process. The current net worth requirement is Rs. 10 crores, and will be increased to Rs. 200 crores over the next 8 years. Many Udipis will not be able to meet this requirement – and may have to shut down. However ‘idli trading’ has been kept out of the regulation. This authority will have full authority to decide the commission for idli trading – and hopes to restrict the commission to 0.40 Re. per idli. Mamta wanted his reduced to Re 0.40 PER PLATE.

Mr. S A John, the Governor of this Board said ‘Idli is a poor man’s food it cannot be priced so high. After all India is a poor country and Rs. 750 is what many people make in a month. Both these hotels were not available for comments.

The Board will decide how many idlis can be served and to whom. For people above 100 kgs (they could not decide whether the height mattered) hotels will not be allowed to serve sweets, tea or coffee with sugar, soft drinks, ice-cream, etc. In case they wish to be served these items they will have to produce a certificate (see appendix Abviiixv) from a gym showing how many calories he has burnt.

This certificate will be valid for 3 days at a time. Talwalkar Health Academy has world wide rights (these rules apply to NRIs also) to issue this certificate. Other gyms need to take permission from Talwalkar to produce this certificate.

Any resemblance to the existing regulators is a pure coincidence. More to follow after it is decided whether this ministry will have an independent charge or be a Minister of State.

No, amfi agents will not automatically qualify to sell idlis. They will have to write an exam under the new board – the exam dates will be announced soon.