Liquor ban: Hospitality industry seeks govt intervention
Members of the hotel and restaurant fraternity and travel bodies met on Sunday to discuss the impact of the liquor ban, which came into effect on 1 April
New Delhi: Hoteliers and restaurateurs affected by the Supreme Court’s ban on liquor outlets near highways plan to seek government intervention for relief.
Members of the hotel and restaurant fraternity and travel bodies met on Sunday to discuss the impact of the ban, which came into effect on 1 April. Pubs, restaurants serving liquor and hotel bars have since been sealed by the excise department.
“The biggest concern that is coming out of this judgement is the loss of employment that is staring at us," Kapil Chopra, president of the Oberoi Group, said at the meeting. “The whole state of Goa is actually around the national highway, same for Maharashtra as well as Gurgaon. The second big concern is the tourism impact. You cannot tell your guests not to have a glass of beer or wine so these are very challenging times for the hotel industry."
He added that stricter implementation of the law on drunken driving were needed and the liquor ban would not help in curbing accidents.
The group said they will not consider legal options for the time being. “We will not take the legal route for the next 7 days and spend time in analysing the decision and meet key government officials to find a solution," added Chopra.
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