Resentment brews among hoteliers on relief package of 20 lakh crores

Hotel industry is in loss of about Rs 3000 crore only during lockdown, claims AHAR 

Mumbai: The Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHAR) is feeling left out of the package of 20 lakh crore rupees announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revive the country’s economy in view of the Covid-19 epidemic. The hoteliers are unhappy over the stimulus package as the Indian Hotel industry has been completely kept out by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The Indian Hotel industry in the lockdown has not only lost its business but unfortunately losing its migrant workers. “People in pandemic situation are already in fear of coronavirus and if customers are in fear and no mood to eat or order the industry cannot start. Along with this now we are having major issue of labour (migrant workers). Most of the staff working in Indian Hotel Industry hails from Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. They have left for their hometown,” said Adarsh Shetty, Advisor and Former President of AHAR.

Already thousands of migrants have left from their work place states, the industry cannot survive without the requisite staff. The take away or parcel services cannot be restarted as industry is now facing shortage of staff, resulting in financial loss. Hotel Industry was included by the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide parcel or take away service but the industry did not take off.

“The hospitality industry is the second largest foreign exchequer of India and is also the wheel of the economy. However, FM Sitharaman did not allocate any fund to this industry. We have incurred loss up to Rs 3,000 crore in lockdown, “added Shetty.

The relief package even did not include bank loans for Hoteliers. As they can be part of start-up and rent new premises or plan new interiors and dining tables in view of social distancing. They also told that in present pandemic crisis they cannot keep same dining tables and interiors. Also the kitchen needs to be restructured.

The Hoteliers also claim that they have started getting pinch of salt as many of them are on rented premise running the business. The government announced that the rent should not be taken for three months now if the rent is not paid now it has to be paid later. It is unavoidable. The same premises will be not affordable for many as they have to alter premises and bring back new labourers at work.

“We have been unable to bear the loss now, the industry has totally collapsed. The affordability of rents in future is not possible keeping social distancing also in mind. The customers will hardly turn up restaurants.