Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western Odisha (HRAWO) has sent SOS to the State Government seeking sops for the hospitality industry, which is in dire straits due to COVID-19 pandemic.
HRAWO general secretary Abhishek Lath has requested the State Government for a revival package post lockdown period as it seems the hospitality industry's survival will be difficult with a longer period of lockdown.
Presenting a memorandum to Minister Tourism Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, the HRAWO has urged the State Government to depute a senior official of the Department of Tourism to help in chalking out a strategy after looking into several aspects of problems being faced by hoteliers in western Odisha.
Lath stated that tourism in western Odisha is not that developed as coastal Odisha and hotel industry in this zone is in a nascent stage.
Hotels and restaurants are closed down, however, the hoteliers are spending a lot to keep the property sanitized and maintaining staff while paying them their salaries.
Apprehensions are there that lockdown will continue till June and followed by rainy seasons, survival of hotel industry will be very difficult.
In this backdrop, the HRAWO has requested the State Government to allow a State owned bank to provide loan with subsidized rate of interest.
The HRAWO has requested for complete waiver of electricity bill, Bar License fee for six months and bank interest incurred during lockdown period for three months.
The HRAWO has requested the State Government to form a committee of all hotel and restaurant associations of Odisha, being endorsed by Department of Tourism to interact with several departments of the Government on the issues related to revival package post lockdown and its implementation.