In an endeavor to express their helplessness to do business, The Vasai Taluka Hotel Association (VTHA) with the support of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has organized a silent protest against the Government’s decision on continued restrictions on restaurant timings in the district. Over 200 hoteliers and restaurateurs from the region joined the silent protest. “We are not being allowed to operate our businesses but are expected to pay the Government its taxes and other statutory levies without fail. We want the Government to relax the restrictions for us to be able to support our employees and families”, says Mr. Nagraj Shetty, Secretary, VTHA.
HRAWI has stated that imposition on restaurants’ operation timings is unfair. It has pleaded that restaurants either be allowed to run businesses as usual or if not, at least be offered reliefs and waivers by the Government to unburden them from statutory financial obligations. “A restaurant’s business is in the evenings and hence operating till 4 pm is meaningless. We are being singled out and left to hang dry. The Government needs to lift the restrictions immediately or we will continue to hold similar protests across the State at local levels. It is very disappointing that the Government is not interacting with us, there is no communication. We need a clear roadmap about what is to be expected from the Government for us to accordingly make informed decisions for our businesses,” concludes Mr. Sherry Bhatia, President, HRAWI.
