Hotel, restaurant assn seeks relief package

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 14

The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India (HRANI), the northern outfit of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India, has requested the state government to provide a relief package to the industry as the impact of Covid-19 on the hospitality industry has been extremely disruptive.

The association said among the core sectors of the economy, hospitality was the first one to fall and was going to be the last to recover.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, the members of the association said the industry had lost all its business after the lockdown came into effect and the zero-business scenario remained for seven-ten months in the past year.

“With the second wave of Covid resulting into more restrictions, it is impossible for the hospitality sector to stay afloat. Today, hospitality has become the most unviable and unsustainable business in the country and is heading towards closure of thousands of establishments across the country,” reads the letter.

Expecting relief package from the government, the association members also demanded that the excise fee paid by licensee bars, hotels and restaurants for the non-operation period between March 22 and September 4, 2020, should be either refunded or adjusted.

Amarvir Singh, secretary of the northern outfit, said contracted capacity of power consumption had also not used by hotels but fixed charges at the applicable rate had been billed to them, including during the non-operations period. “Therefore, keeping in view the closure of hospitality establishments, we request you for a complete waiver of fixed charges,” he added.