Mumbai: No home delivery on December 31 night

One hotelier said delivery executives face troubles on the road even now when they get late sometimes. Representation pic

Those of you planning a home party on New Year's Eve, be sure to stock up on food, as restaurants won't be delivering it beyond the 11-pm curfew. Due to the lack of clarity on deliveries, the city's hoteliers have decided to close business on December 31 before the night curfew takes effect.

Some hoteliers said they are seeking clarity on whether food delivery will be allowed beyond 11 pm, the AHAR (Indian Hotel & Restaurant Association) members said will abide by the rules imposed in the city. They said that the hoteliers, whose businesses are already suffering, will benefit from the relief.

One of the hoteliers, on condition of anonymity, said that even now when they accept orders after 11 pm, their delivery executives have to deal with a lot of problems due to the curbs. So, to avoid any trouble on the eve of New Year, we will abide by the norms.

Shivanand Shetty of AHAR said, "We will seek clarity on delivery, as it will be beneficial even to the public. And as the transport is allowed, our staff which is already minimum due to low business can also get back home. But, in case there's no clarity, we will even shut the kitchen and won't do any business after 11 pm. We will even serve our last customers by 9.30 or maximum 10 pm so that they have time to eat and leave before 11pm."

Vishwanath Shetty Kalathur, president of Rashtriya Hotel Kamgar Union, said, "We had even written to the government seeking permission to serve beyond 11 pm, but now that the government resolution is out, we have no option but to follow the rules. There will be no food delivery, as there is no clarity on whether it is allowed or not. We do not want to operate without any standard instructions."

Meanwhile, teams of police and the civic body have been formed to carry out vigilance drives across the city to ensure that there is complete night curfew and people are not on streets. This is being done amid fear of a second wave in the city, and now with the new strain of the virus, the government is leaving no stone unturned.

A civic official said, "Besides the joint team of the BMC and police, there will be teams of civic officials that will be making rounds to see if any restaurants are open beyond the permitted time and action will be taken against the violators."