PremiumMumbai: In a major relief to the 4 lakh restaurants, bars and eatery outlets in the state, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday allowed them to re-start operations from the first week of October.
The decision came in after a meeting between industry organizations and the CM, according to a government statement.
Hotels, bars and restaurants which have been hit hard due to the covid-19 lockdown, have been surviving on home deliveries.
About 60 lakh direct employees and 1.8 crore indirect employees (in supply of agro, diary and other commodities) stand to gain from this move.
Industry leaders -- HRAWI and AHAR -- have welcomed the decision which they said will help to regenerate the employment that was stagnant since the last seven months of lockdown.
"We thank CM Uddhav Thackeray ji, who today assured us that restaurants will be allowed to reopen in the first week of October," said Sherry Bhatia, president, Hotel & Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI).
The state government has also agreed to waive excise license fees for six months of shut down as also deferment of first instalment deadline of 30 September, HRAWI said.
