13 January,2022 08:12 AM IST | Mumbai | Vishal Singh
Hall owners said they too are suffering as they have to manage several expenses
When scores of families were forced to call off or reschedule weddings and other family gatherings due to the COVID-triggered lockdown, they were sad. But little did they know that they would be facing more frustration later over the booking amounts paid to halls and for banquets. Several of them are now caught in a tussle with hall owners to get their money back.
Thane resident Shubha Krishnan had booked Mulund's Indraprastha Hall for her daughter's post-wedding reception on May 9, 2021, and paid an advance of Rs 99,000. The reception had to be cancelled due to the lockdown. When Shubha to seek a refund, hall manager Raman apparently told her to reschedule the event. Refund was not possible, she was told.
Shubha said the hall was to charge Rs 1.65 lakh for the reception. "My daughter got married in Chennai and the reception was in Mumbai. My son-in-law is in the merchant navy and I don't when he will get leave. My daughter lives abroad."
She said, "Cancellation of an event is not a big thing for the hall, but it's a huge loss for us. We didn't cancel it intentionally. The hall should hall management should refund our money after deducting some amount."
Raman told mid-day that their policy doesn't allow the refund of the advance. "Whoever gives an advance and his scheduled programme gets cancelled, either he or his blood relatives can do a programme at this fixed price."
Malad resident Rajiv Barut's daughter was to get married on May 29, 2021, at Savita Banquet and Caterers in Malad. Barut had paid Rs 20,000 in advance. But a few days before the wedding, Barut contracted COVID and the wedding had to be cancelled.
When he asked the money to be returned, the hall management told him to reschedule the function. "The total cost of using the hall was Rs 70,000, but restrictions were imposed and we didn't need a bigger place. We had the wedding in our village. Because of COVID, I don't even have a job and now the advance money is also gone."
Janvi Thakkar, owner of Savita Banquet, said they are ready to give the hall at the same rate if they reschedule the functions. "People ask us questions but who will answer our questions. We have paid full tax even during the lockdown. The EMI of the loan taken for the hall is also being paid. Water tax, electric bills all have to be paid. The employees have to be paid salaries. We are managing all this. We have not got any concession from the government," she said.
Abhinay Dadarkar was to be married in the Andhra Sabha Hall at Dadar, for which he had given Rs 3 lakh. Just when all arrangements had been done, the prime minister announced the nationwide lockdown. But Dadarkar was a bit lucky. The hall returned his money after four months. "Due to the lockdown, I did not get married in the hall. When the rules of lockdown were relaxed, I got married. The owner of Andhra Sabha Hall, which did not operate for a year, closed it and left," said the Dadar resident.
Naresh Shigwan said his son was to be married in 2020 and he had booked King George Hall at Dadar. He too had to cancel the wedding due to the lockdown. "I had booked the hall six months before the wedding date and had paid Rs 1 lakh in advance. But after emailing to them for a refund, I got my full money after two months."
Kiran Redij, who runs two halls in Dombivli, says everyone has been badly hit due to the COVID outbreak. "We offer two options to customers. They can either reschedule the marriage or get the money back. Ours is a trust-run hall."
The owner of a hall, who requested anonymity, said rules are strictly enforced in cities, but there is a lot of laxity in villages. "Because of this reason, many people prefer to go to villages for wedding functions. If more people than the number fixed by the government are seen in the halls of Mumbai, then BMC and police take action, but there is no restriction of the numbers in villages."
