Night curfew is nothing but a lockdown for us: Restaurateurs and bar owners

The hospitality industry which had slowly started recovering after last yearrsquos lockdown claims that their businesses have been stalled again by the lsquonight curfewrsquo which is as good as a lockdown as the bulk of their business starts only after 8 pm The closing time and the annual liquor licence fee has become a main point of contention for hoteliersAHAR members with CM Uddhav ThackerayPresident of Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association AHAR Shivanand Shetty said ldquoThe 8 pm7 am time restriction is a lockdown for restaurants We have been adhering to stringent SOPs and supporting the administration but this latest move came without consulting the industry and also at the wrong timeNo proven research says that COVID is more contagious during the night or that restaurants are culpritsrdquo The annual state excise licence for bars and restaurants ended on March 31 Though the state government has extended the deadline to renew the licence by 10 days most hoteliers are unwilling to renew it until the government reworks the closing timeldquoOn average one bar and restaurant has to pay an annual liquor licence fee of Rs 6 lakh Our business starts only at night after 8 pm Why should we pay the fees if we have to close at 8 pmrdquo said Prakash Hegde president Vasai Taluka Hotel AssociationHegde also conducted a meeting with hoteliers from Vasai taluka on Thursday to discuss the crisis On Friday hotel associations from VasaiVirar MiraBhayandar Thane Kalyan Dombivli Navi Mumbai Bhiwandi and Ulhasnagar conducted a joint meeting in ThaneA united standThe associations unanimously decided to not pay the annual licence fee for liquor till the closing time for restaurants and bars is extended ldquoThe government should allow us to operate till 11 pm We cannot survive if we close at 8 pmrdquo said Thanebased hotelier Pritam SinghldquoWe should also be allowed to pay the liquor licence fee in instalments Today it is a night curfew will it be a full lockdown tomorrow The licence will be wastedrdquo Singh addedVirarbased hotelier Vihang Mhatre said ldquoThe night curfew has left us with just 20 per cent of the usual business Vendors of vegetables dairy products chicken water etc connected to us are also suffering We need an extension in closing time till at least midnightrdquoShetty added ldquoThe lockdown closed many businesses and the ones that survived are only just recovering without any support from the government How do we pay staff salaries The industry has been pushed into uncertaintyrdquoAHAR has made a representation to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray regarding the instalments and has been assured that the request would be looked intoldquoThe government is entitled to collect taxes and other fees from businesses only if it allows smooth functioning It is depriving us of our constitutional right to do business with taxes amid such restrictionsrdquo Shetty said2037Proportion of business hoteliers are left with amid night curfew10No of daysrsquo extension given by state for licence fee paymentRs 6Average liquor licence fee in lakh of one bar and restaurant