Himalayan News Service

Pokhara, February 8:

Entrepreneurs and community police jointly shut down over 100 cabin restaurants in Pokhara city area after some cabin restaurants were found to be involved in prostitution.

The seedy reputation of some of the cabin restaurants had a adverse effect even on family restaurants providing homely atmosphere.

With the consent of restaurant owners, the cabins were removed from mid-December 2004, said Mangal Nepal of Community Police Service Centre. The restaurant entrepreneurs have agreed to move ahead jointly with the community police and local administration, he added. Different types of restaurants in Pokhara have formed an organisation called Pokhara City REBAN to safeguard their collective interests. The organisation aims to take action against restaurants selling alcohol without licence and engaging in prostitution, informed Hari Bikram Shahi, a member of the organisation and owner of Saugat Restaurant Over 200 restaurants and hotels in Pokhara are affiliated to the organisation and equal number of restaurants and hotels have decided to become its members, added Shahi.

According to KP Sharma, the organisation’s treasurer and owner of Sandesh Restaurant, the entrepreneurs shut down cabin restaurants after a number of complaints were registered against prostitution. The local residents are the ones encouraging flesh trade and the situation cannot improve unless they change their habit, said Sharma. Waitress in the restaurants are sexually harassed more by high-ranking officials than young customers, said restaurant owners.

“Restaurant entrepreneurs are even ready to present waitresses in uniforms and set working hours for them,” said Sharma. The community police recently arrested some waitresses on charge of involving in flesh trade while the waitresses complained of harassment by the community police and booking them on false charges.

Prostitution in some restaurants should not be made an excuse to label charges on all waitresses in the business, the owners said.