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In a letter to both guardian Ministers of Mumbai city and suburbs, Aslam Sheikh and Aaditya Thackeray respectively, the Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHAR) — the apex body of the industry —requested for restoration of dine-in services in restaurants and bars to pre- covid timings, as the situation is under control. It drew their attention to other States which have done so and are getting back to normalcy.
Presently, the restrictions mandate hotels to close down at 10 p.m.
Shivanand Shetty, president, AHAR said, “The industry is in dire straits with many restaurants & bars shut for ever and others barely able to keep their shutters up. As a responsible industry association, we continue to completely abide by the law of the land. We have already requested the State government for waiving off 50% of existing FL-III licence fees, but the operational timing of restaurants & bars has to be restored to pre-pandemic days for not only businesses to survive but also for ancillary industries to make-up for businesses & employment opportunities lost and largely as a revenue source for the government.”
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A few days ago, the AHAR had also written to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar seeking their support to bail out theindustry.
Sukesh Shetty, general secretary, AHAR said, “Given our business model, the prevailing timings are further throttling the industry. We have always partnered with the administration in its fight against the pandemic by adhering to all its protocols and proactively ensuring all employees are vaccinated. Now, since the situation is under control, we request easing of curbs so the industry can get back on track. We have been assured of a positive outcome in the next 3-4 days and we are hopeful that the administration will support our industry by all means.”