Night restriction directives imposed by the government of Maharashtra, which came into effect from Sunday night, has caused unease among businesses, with those associated with the hospitality, food and beverages sector fearing that stringent rules could cripple the industry.
From Sunday, the Maharashtra government-imposed restrictions, asking restaurants, malls, cinema halls and public places to shut down by 8 pm. The restrictions also stop more than five people from gathering together in public places after 8 pm.
Industry association says they will approach the Chief Minister and Tourism Minister to urge for a roll-back of these new curfew norms.
“We were one of the last to reopen during Mission Begin Again. While restaurants were allowed to reopen in October last year, it was with a limited capacity. There were similar restrictions put during New Year’s Eve when we were directed to shut at 11 pm. Most restaurants have had to cut down on staff and are yet to get back on track financially. There could have been a stricter adherence to social-distancing than a blanket shutdown order like this,” said a restaurant owner in Dadar.
“We are already functioning at 50 per cent capacity. On weekdays, restaurants are full only to 20 per cent of this limit or there are times when there is not a single customer in the restaurant. Between 8-11 pm, we end up serving more customers than the whole day. The current restrictions are only going to cause us more losses,” said a cafe owner in Andheri.
Hotel and Restaurants Association of Western India (HRAWI) has said the new curb could lead to a shutdown of about 30 per cent of hotels, as it will become unviable to run business.
Surjitt Sahani
