Vasai taluka’s hotel and restaurant industry agitation underscores dire straits; calls for extended timings to ensure survival
The Vasai Taluka Hotel Association with the support of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India held a silent protest on Wednesday morning
Continuing with time restrictions has fuelled resentment across the spectrum, within the hotel industry. Restaurant and hotel owners and employees have been protesting for leeway, which means an extension beyond the ‘can-be-open-only-till-4 pm’ timing curbs that have been imposed on them through lockdown. Dining out is also reserved for weekends, but that avenue too, remains closed for restaurateurs with the government not granting relief to the industry.
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This simmering anger erupted, after shops got some relief from the state government recently. The retail establishments got an extension in timing, but for restaurants and hotels it was status quo and status woe.
“We do not grudge against anybody getting relief, but we have to ask why we are being constantly overlooked,” asked hospitality representatives. On Wednesday morning, the Vasai Taluka Hotel Association (VTHA) with the support of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) held a silent protest against the government’s decision on continued restrictions on restaurant timings in the district.
Also read: We, too, want extended hours, say hoteliers
The protest
At least 150 people — owners, employees and others allied to the industry — gathered to showcase desperation and helplessness. They met at the Tungar Phata in Vasai and then made their way to the Palghar district collector’s office to submit a representation. The written plea signed by Nagraj Shetty, general secretary of the VTHA, has ‘revival of hotels and restaurants in the Vasai-Virar region’ as the subject line.
An excerpt reads, “The recent order of the Palghar collector restricting dine-in services in restaurants and bars to 4 pm from Monday to Friday and no dine-in on weekends had squashed industry hopes for revival.”
The written communication cites that the prime business period for dine-in establishments is 8 pm to 12 am and weekends, and with this being shut it is becoming impossible to survive.
Shetty said, “I do not know why we are at the receiving end of this step-fatherly treatment by the government. We have hardly made any money in the past 17 months. Several establishments here can only survive through dine-in, we cannot even cover basic expenses through takeaway services.” He said that if the government insists on time restrictions, then a ‘6 pm to 12 am allowed to open’ window is more logical for fine dine establishments.
Dinner please
Pritam Singh, joint secretary of the Vasai Association, added, “We have at least 280 restaurants under this umbrella. Many employees are now struggling to pay bills, including something as vital as their children’s school fees as there has been no relief. It is the government’s job to ensure that people receive both vaccine doses. They are slipping and failing on this count, but we are subjected to restrictions. We are the industry that employs the maximum number of people, but we are paying such a heavy price with no relaxations. Gyms have also been allowed to open for extended hours, even though they are at high risk. Compare this to a restaurant where the staff is fully masked and tables are sanitised after every patron leaves.”
Sherry Bhatia, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) said that it is impossible to make money through takeaways only. “At our association meetings, we hear of talented chefs working as watchmen, out-of-work waiters have become masons, it is immensely tragic, but people have to make a living somehow.”
Bhatia said delivery service does not cut it, “there are so many people who want to dine out, and they do so usually for dinner. It is the office crowd, which is small, that will eat out in the mornings. We have shown time and again that we follow all guidelines, have minimum risk, but we get maximum punishment.”
Representatives claimed that if all pleas resulted in nothing, bigger agitations would be planned when people, already driven to the edge, will descend on the roads.
The industry leaders ended as they stated, “Domestic flights are operating. Passengers are sitting in aircraft with no social distancing in air-conditioned spaces. Restrictions are lifted to allow this, so why is it that restaurants are not allowed more hours?” They finished with anger and anguish in that question, using the aircraft example to highlight ‘plane’ discrimination.
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