A hotel and restaurant owners' body on Tuesday objected to the Maharashtra government's directive of mandating AI-based CCTV systems at licensed hospitality establishments across the state, citing privacy concerns besides being costly.

The Hotel and Restaurant Association (Western India) - HRAWI, raised objections to the state government's recent directive that requires establishments to install advanced CCTV surveillance capable of real-time AI and machine-learning monitoring at entry points, a move HRAWI said is excessive, costly and intrusive without a proven efficacy for enhancing public safety, according to a statement.