CHENNAI: With hotels and spas closed owing to the nation-wide lockdown being enforced to curb the spread of Covid-19, those hailing from other states and largely employed in the hospitality sector are keen on returning home.
More than the lockdown, the non-payment of salaries is making their survival in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu, extremely arduous.
"Basically, the problems we face is most of our people have not got their salaries for two months now. They have to pay house rent, electric bill etc.
Even if the lockdown is lifted, the sector in which they are working will not be back to normal for a couple of months," President of Chennai Mizo Welfare Association, R Lalvena said.
And to make matters worse, they don't have much savings now to meet even the requirement for travel back home.
A majority of the people from Mizoram work in spas, hotels and malls while the rest are migrant workers.
Most of them live in Chennai and Vellore while the rest are scattered across Tamil Nadu living in Hosur, Namakkal, Krishnagiri and Nagapattinam.
The plight of those from the North East and working in hotels and restaurants is similar.
"The food business is virtually at zero. There is a massive spectre of job loss and there is no end in sight.
The reality of the trade, right now, is we are not in a position with much of a solution in our hands, as it depends upon so many unknown variables," President of National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and Executive Director & CEO, deGustibus Hospitality said .
He was addressing a recent e-conference on Food and Hotel India Industry, on Covid-19 challenges.
According to Himmat Anand, Founder of Tree of Life Resorts & Hotels, spa and wellness would also take a hit because of the crisis.
"Small hotels will revive quickly but larger hotels will take time to revive. Small boutique properties should bounce back by March next year," he claimed.
"Our government has already provided some amount as relief and in Tamil Nadu the state government which is considerate has provided us essential commodities.
With no jobs, most of our people want to return home," Lalvena said and apparently indicated that without regular salaries resuming normal life would be difficult.