SAMBALPUR: The ban on zero night celebrations and gatherings for New Year in the district has left hoteliers and event organisers, hit by the pandemic, worried. As per a notice issued by Sambalpur police on Tuesday, gatherings have been banned for the New Year.
It stated that adequate police personnel will be deployed on December 31 to ensure the ban is enforced stringently. The police have asked hoteliers to not organise zero night parties. The order comes as a blow to the hotel industry, severely hit by the pandemic. However, owners of hotels have reacted to the order with caution as well as despair.
A hotel owner, Silla Siba Prasad said, “We were expecting that the administration would relax certain rules for the zero night celebrations as Covid situation is under control in the district. But the decision has been taken considering the scenario of the entire State and to ensure, the efforts of the past 10 months to keep the virus at bay, do not go waste.
We would cooperate with the police and administration. Our restaurant however will be open to serve the people on the day.” On the other hand, the owner of a resort on the outskirts of the city said the authorities should have allowed people to celebrate New Year.
“Standard operating procedure should have been made to allow us for the celebrations,” he said. Roshan Nayak, a local too opposed the restrictions and questioned why parties are risky at a time when eco-retreats are being organised by the government at tourist destinations in the State. “The administration should reconsider its decision and allow New Year celebrations with certain restrictions,” he said.