Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) writes to the Home Ministry seeking certain relaxations for the hospitality industry in Unlock 4.0. By Tanvi Jain
The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) on behalf of the country’s entire hospitality industry representing 50,000 hotels and 5,00,000 restaurants, has recently written a letter to the Home Ministry seeking certain relaxations in the fourth phase of the ongoing Unlock in India.
As per the letter accessed by a media organisation, the body has sought permission to reopen bar and liquor services along with dine-in options, in order to bring back the severely affected cash inflow. It has also requested the Government to ease the quarantine norms for domestic travellers, such as exempting business travellers visiting for just one to three days, from being quarantined. It has further asked the Home Ministry to replace state-specific quarantine norms with a uniform quarantine policy, in order to avoid confusion among travellers, and also conduct a dual test — rapid antigen and RTC-PCR — on arriving passengers without quarantine.
View this post on Instagram
Moreover, it has further suggested allowing 300 people indoors and 500 in open areas, so that they can be easily accommodated in the venue without compromising on social distancing protocol. Earlier, the hotel body had also requested permission to reopen banquet halls.
Reports suggest that, due to lack of revenue in the hospitality sector, throughout the lockdown, and negligible footfall even after unlock, FHRAI has in another letter to the Finance Ministry, urged the RBI to extend loan moratorium for three more months, which the bank has already extended till August 31.
View this post on Instagram
Recently, after The Department Of Delhi Disaster Management Authority allowed restaurants and hotels to reopen in the capital, the Delhi government also asked its excise department to issue permits required to serve liquor on table at restaurants and clubs with licence, and in hotels rooms, but ordered bars to still remain shut.
Earlier this month, The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) had written to the Delhi government’s excise department seeking permission to serve liquor in the national capital, after it had already allowed restaurants to reopen with required safety measures.
Related: Restaurants, Malls, Hotels & Religious Places Reopen: Keep In Mind These Dos & Don’ts