Hoteliers dub clarification on Ashiana a mere eyewash

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 30

The explanation of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) that Ashiana restaurant located on The Ridge was opened on Sunday in violation of the orders of the district administration due to confusion between notifications has no takers.

“It is surprising that the illiterate street venders and small dhaba owners could understand the orders and abide by them but the HPTDC authorities were confused and did not bother to clarify it and took liberty to open the restaurant while the rest of dhabas and restaurants in the town were shut,” said Raja, a dhaba owner.

Ashwani Soni, General Manager, HPTDC, had maintained that there was confusion between the two notifications issued on November 21 and 24 as the first notification allowed opening of restaurants and dhabas while the second allowed take away food.

The district administration had clearly mentioned on its Facebook page that restaurants and dhabas would remain closed on Sunday and eating on road is not allowed but perhaps the HPTDC was exempted from the orders, said another restaurant owner.

While owners of small eateries and dhabas, who earn their livelihood through daily sales and feed their families earn around 20,000 to 30,000 monthly, Ashiana did business of over Rs 22,000 in five hours. Besides tourists, a segment of people who live alone and eat outside were a harassed lot as the restaurants and dhabas in the town were shut and the small vendors selling street food were nowhere to be seen.

The tourism industry (hotels, restaurants and allied sector), which was on the brink of collapse was trying to survive on its own with great difficulty and had pinned hopes on November-December season. However, such initiatives such as closing of shops and eateries on Sunday and imposing night curfew could come as the last nail on the coffin, opined members of tourism, hotels, restaurants associations.

“We had received a complaint from the SDM (Urban) and Ashiana restaurant and Dominos were challaned for violating the order, said Monit Chawla, SP, Shimla, who added that rules were applicable to all and there could not be any exception.

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