Banquet, catering operators struggling to keep biz afloat

Nitish Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Ambala, May 25

The Covid pandemic has hit the banquet and catering industry hard and the people involved in the industry are finding it hard to keep business afloat.

People involved in the business claim that the wedding season was blown away by the lockdown and they are staring at unprecedented losses.

There are nearly 125 banquets and marriage palaces in Ambala City and Cantonment.

Ajay Baweja, a banquet operator, said, “Fresh investments are made in February and March for the wedding season and the entire season is planned. New counters are constructed and the set-up is redesigned. There were a large number of bookings for April and May but those were cancelled and we had to refund the money. It is not only banquet owners, but also allied businesses, including decorators, waiters, photographers, light-and-sound service providers, who are also feeling the heat. It is a team work. This is going to be the worst year as there are no weddings till October.”

Sudarshan Singh Sehgal, president of Haryana Marriage Palace and Banquet Association, said, “The industry is going through a tough phase. Banquet halls have taken heavy loans from banks and they have to repay the loan even if there is no business. There are fixed expenditures including power charges, maintenance, salaries and other taxes. There was no relief for our industry in the package announced by the Centre. It should at least waive the interest and give relaxation in GST. Those who had bookings in April will try to get dates in November and we have to give priority to them.”

Suresh Prajapati, a caterer, said, “There are nearly 50 caterers in Ambala Cantonment. March 30 to May 13 used to be the peak season but this year, there was no work due to the lockdown. I had three main cooks. Of them, two belong to Uttar Pradesh and they have gone home as there was no work. The government has given relaxation to resume operations with 50 guests but we are not expecting much business.”

Parmod Sharma, another caterer, said, “We are not getting any fresh bookings but we have been giving salaries as we can’t lose our cooks. If they go away, it will be another setback to us. The government should pay some attention towards caterers too.”