Re-open restaurants and bars, Hotel and Restaurant Association appeals to BMC

Mumbai: The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has written to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal in the wake of the state's latest 'break the chain' order extending stricter restrictions. It also requested that restaurants and bars in stand-alone restaurants, as well as restaurants and bars in hotels for outside guests, be allowed to reopen immediately. HRAWI requested the Municipal Commissioner to extend the opening hours of restaurants until 11 p.m.

 

The two lockdowns together affected more than 20 lakh jobs. The industry loses Rs 2,000 crore every month when hotels and restaurants are closed. With the latest order, the industry expects to stay close for another 15 days, which HRAWI says will result in a revenue loss of around Rs 1,000 crore. There are 210,000 restaurants, 10,500 hotels, and industrial employees in the state, and about 30 lakh jobs are directly and indirectly affected. Industrial revenue at the beginning of 2021 was below 20 percent of the pandemic pre-level. 

 

Since April 2021, it has not even reached 5 percent of the pandemic pre-level. Each locked extension causes huge losses to the industry and adds to the debt. Data or studies have not shown that hotels and restaurants are Covid-19 spreaders. Currently, the positive rate in 19 Covid cases in Mumbai is less than 10 percent. To protect the industry from NPAs and bankruptcy in these circumstances; We urge the BMC chief to give us concessions to protect the livelihoods of the millions of people who are involved, "said Sherry Bhatia, President of HRAWI.