The apex body of hotels and restaurants has written to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray seeking permission to remain open till 11 p.m.
AHAR (Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association) said restaurants are now allowed to operate only till 4 p.m. through the week, including weekends.
Shivanand Shetty, president, AHAR, said, “We feel cheated after having regular meetings with the State government and having followed all standard operating procedures the authorities have been imposing. Decisions pertaining to relaxation need to be taken keeping in mind the business model and after consultation with respective industry representatives. But what we see is sheer discriminatory guidelines issued without due diligence because of which our image as an industry is tainted.”
The letter added that other overheads like salaries, rent and input costs meant hardly any money was earned. It pointed out that while hotels are closed, roadside eateries are operating till midnight in complete violation of the Supreme Court’s order to not cook in the open.
Mr. Shetty pointed out that other States had relaxed guidelines and even offered relief packages to the industry. “We hope the CM pays heed to our request and extends the timings to 11 p.m. at the earliest,” he said.
