‘INJUSTICE’: Pune Restaurants, Hotels Protest Against Lockdown
Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 5 April 2021: Pune Restaurants & Hoteliers have decided to exhibit their protest against Lockdown. They have decided to display a banner ‘# NO LOCKDOWN INJUSTICE TO HOTELIERS & CUSTOMERS’ at the entrances of their hotels and restaurants, informed Ganesh Shetty, president of Pune Restaurants & Hoteliers Associations (PRAHA), which has 850 members.
Shetty added, “We have already suffered huge losses during the last year’s lockdown. We were able to do about 35-40% of business when the government has again declared lockdown and shut our business. There are about 8000 food joints, restaurants and hotels in Pune and about 60,000 people are dependent on this sector for their livelihood. The government should take a compassionate view on the issue.”
Earlier about 500 hotel and restaurant owners have come together under the banner of ‘United Hospitality Association’ (UHA) to oppose the Pune administration’s decision to shut down eateries, food joints, restaurants, hotels.
According to UHA, the hospitality industry is one of the highest tax-paying sectors and provides maximum employment. “We should be given maximum benefits in terms of taxation and relaxation on electricity bills and others. If we are shut for 15 days it takes us 2-3 months ahead to function normally as it requires manpower and trained specific employees to get us back function normally. We are paying excise fees without being allowed to do business”, UHA stated.
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