Hoteliers await Administration help to boost industry in Chandigarh

Deepankar Sharda
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 26

Local hoteliers continue to face huge losses in business due to various reasons, including short operational hours, non-serving of liquor and others during the pandemic.

However, the UT Administration decided to wait for MHA guidelines before deciding on allowing serving of liquor in local hotels, during its war room meeting held today.

Local hotel owners had earlier demanded the permission for serving alcohol at restaurants and in banquet halls during functions after the Punjab Government allowed the same in the state.

The demand was raised as the UT Administration follows the Punjab State Excise Act, 1914, to penalise Chandigarh-based restaurants in case of any negligence. However, the UT decided to wait till the present lockdown instructions end on June 30 before taking any decision.

“These three months are the most important for us. During May to July last year, we received 20,000 to 30,000 customers on weekdays and 50,000 on weekends. But last week, we served 1,500 guests on weekdays and around 1,000 on weekends,” said Pankaj Singh, Manager of Food Court, Elante mall.

“If the government has opened liquor vends, then why not hotels? We should be allowed to operate till 11 pm and to serve alcohol. This lockdown has dented our business badly and it’s high time that our industry should be given some relief,” said Arvinder Pal Singh, president, Chandigarh Hotels’ Association.

With no or barely any business, most of the restaurants have limited their work to home delivery and takeaways. “It is difficult to cover even our operational costs. Only 10 to 15 per cent customers are visiting us. As the Punjab Government allowed serving of liquor, people now prefer going to Mohali or Zirakpur. The Administration and the MHA should think on similar lines and allow us to extend operational hours,” said Rajesh Kalra, General Manager, Hotel Maya, Sector 35.

Members of the City Chandigarh Hospitality Association met UT Adviser Manoj Parida and requested him to allow serving of alcohol in local hotels, said association president Ankit Gupta.