Mumbai: The Maharashtra government will soon take a decision on extending the timings of the hotels in Mumbai, said Mumbai District Guardian Minister Aslam Shaikh. He, however, did not give any timeline for the government decision.
His announcement came days after the NCP, which is a key ally in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, had said it will soon appeal to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for increasing the hotel timings beyond 10 pm. The NCP has demanded relaxation in curbs on the functioning of shops and hotels especially during the festive season.
Earlier, the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI), in a representation to the CM has requested for an extension of operation timings for hotels and restaurants in the state. The association has recommended restoring the operation timings of hotels and restaurants as per the license held by establishments, on all days of the week from Monday through Sunday. It has also requested the government to offer relaxation on the condition that restaurant staff be fully vaccinated for resumption of operations.
The Association has stated that since October 2020, restaurants in Maharashtra were allowed to operate under restrictions at 50 per cent capacity with restrictions on timings. But the second wave of the pandemic led to another complete lockdown and later more severe restrictions were imposed on restaurants.
The Association argued that the present timings for restaurants from 7 am to 10 pm do not complement this business. This is only adding to the losses caused due to the two lockdowns. ‘’We recommend that the government allows hotels and restaurants to revert to the pre-pandemic timings through the week. This will not only benefit restaurants but it also will promote staggered ventures out of the public,’’ said Pradeep Shetty, Sr Vice President, HRAWI.
