Mangaluru: The stakeholders in the travel, tourism, food, and beverage industries have expressed their angst over the evening curfew from 6 pm to 6 am. They said that unnecessary restrictions have been causing loss of business, and keeping tourists away, which has caused a major financial loss to the district.
Santosh, a street vendor who sells food on a cart in Kankanady, said that he solely depends on the earnings from his cart. “My business starts only after 5pm. What can we do if the district administration clamps restrictions post 6pm? We have already been badly hit due to the pandemic, and communal tension in the region is snatching away our earnings,’’ he said, adding that the city has several vendors like him, who undergo similar ordeals. “The administration must consider our plight, while enforcing the rules,” he requested.
The food and beverage industry stakeholders, expressing their anger, questioned why the district administration wants to shut down liquor shops and restaurants that serve alcohol. “Business was picking up pace after the pandemic, for the food and beverage industry. The industry hired extra staff, after the situation improved. The sudden restrictions have come as a jolt. The food industry does good business during the weekend, and it’s been a washout due to the restrictions. The liquor sector pays the highest tax to the government, and yet the district administration has ordered it to be closed for several days. It is unacceptable,” said Ashish Shetty of Hotel Foodlands.
“A lot of guests who booked our accommodation, have cancelled their plans, after learning about the recent murders and their aftermath,” said Peter Nirmal, general manager of The Gateway Hotel. “As Mangaluru is improving with its infrastructure and turning into a smart city, we expected that hotel timings would be extended. However, what we see is totally the opposite, and we are ordered to shut down by 6 pm,” said Damodar Shetty, partner, Prestige Hotels, Balmatta.
Stany D’Souza, an autorickshaw driver, criticised the district administration, and said that several autorickshaw drivers like him used to work till 9 pm or 10 pm every day, to earn some extra money, and that too has been snatched away.
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