The restriction and control on using power, imposed by the Eastern Power Distribution Company Ltd (EPDCL) from Wednesday would spell doom for their industry, lamented the hotel industry.
The HT consumers can use only 10 per cent of the contracted maximum demand during peak hours and 60 per cent during non-peak hours. This would adversely affect the hotels and restaurants which needed power throughout considering the nature of their business-to serve customers during any hour of the day, which requires keeping the ingredients for food in coolers and to provide facilities such as lighting, air-conditioning and to run lifts, etc.
Other industries could do without power for a few hours (during power-cut) but it was not so for our business, said the representatives of the Hoteliers Association at a press conference in Vizag on Thursday.
Running the show with diesel power generators is a costly proposition and not many hotels and restaurants can afford it, they said. Instead of imposing the restriction and control, the violation of which would attract heavy penalty and disconnection, power-cut could be imposed for a few hours area-wise, they said.
They also said the new rule would come in the way of improving the tourism industry in the city and surroundings as people from outside would not be ready to face hardships during a pleasure trip to Vizag.
The association submitted a memorandum to Chairman and Managing Director of EPDCL Nadeem Ahmed seeking relief from the new rule.
The press conference was addressed by honorary president of the association and former MLA S.A. Rahman, president T. Satyanarayana, secretary Ch. Venkateswarlu, treasurer M. Sivakumar Reddy, organising secretary S. Subba Raju, and MD of Daspalla Hotels Raghavendra Rao.
