NEW DELHI: The Delhi Disaster Management Authority’s (DDMA) decision to lift the night curfew and allow 100 per cent seating capacity in restaurants, bars and cinemas was welcomed by many including the shop and restaurant owners.
Dinesh Arora, managing committee member of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), said, “Happy hours begin now. After two years, all curbs on restaurants have been finally lifted and we are so relieved to see the houseful in our restaurants again.”
He added, “We faced a lot of issues due to restricted timings and guests. It was so embarrassing to send back the guests at times due to the curbs. We are happy to welcome them again with both hands. Now, the restaurant will remain open till 1 am.”
The NRAI had recently written a letter to the authorities concerned stating that the restaurant industry has been one of the worst affected sectors due to the ongoing pandemic and is now facing a challenge for its mere survival.
“More than 25 per cent of the industry has been shut down permanently, leading to loss of jobs for 25 lakh workers. With constant decline in Covid numbers and overall improvement, most states already removed restrictions on the industry. Currently, any further curbs on operations will be critical for the industry,” read the letter.
It further said, “We request you to consider review of capacity/ timings curbs on restaurants and permit operations as per license. It will bring in the much needed relief to the industry and help prevent further business closure and job losses for of workers.”
Meanwhile, Sanjay Bhargava, president of the trader’s welfare association, Chandni Chowk, “This decision should have been taken much earlier considering that the situation became normal days ago. Although, Covid-19 has not gone yet, people should take while visiting the markets.”