Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar, who has recovered from three surgeries, on Friday, urged Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to provide much-needed relief to the hospitality sector that has been hit hard due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.
Pawar has requested Thackeray to allow the payment of excise duty in four instalments by FL-3 license hotel and permit bar owners. The government needs to give relief in electricity bills and property tax. Pawar said the central government has extended the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme up to June 30, 2121, and also announced a 3.0 scheme for the tourism and hospitality sector. “On the lines of the central government, the Maharashtra government should implement a similar incentive scheme to help the hospitality sector and, thereby, promote employment generation in the state,” he said.
He hoped the state government would consider his request sympathetically.
Pawar’s request came days after the delegation of Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHAR) had met Thackeray and prayed for a slew of sops for the revival of the hospitality sector. AHAR president Shivanand Shetty said that the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) needs to write off license fees during the period of the lockdown and urged the government to facilitate easy instalment payment of excise license fees.
