Bombay HC asks Centre, state to consider relief for hoteliers hit by Covid curbs

Bombay HC asks Centre, State to Consider Relief for Hoteliers hit by Covid Curbs

    The Bombay High Court recently directed the Central government to consider and respond to a plea by the Hotel and Restaurants in the state seeking reliefs including extension of moratorium period for paying off loans in light of their businesses coming to a standstill due to Covid-19 curbs.

           A division bench of Justice K K Tated and Justice N R Borkar, was earlier this month, hearing a petition filed by the United Hospitality Association, an organisation of nearly 500 hotel and restaurant owners from Pune, through advocates Abhay Anturkar and Yatin Malvankar.

        The plea sought direction to the Union Finance Ministry to grant relief with respect to repayment of loans to the petitioner hoteliers in view of the Covid-19 pandemic in accordance with the Disaster Management Act.

           The court issued notices to the Union finance ministry and the National Disaster Management Authority to respond to the plea and directed the Union finance minister to take a decision on the petitioner’s representation on its merits.

         The court posted the matter for further hearing to June 18

               Another bench of the high court on May 19, while dealing with another petition, asked the state excise authorities to decide on a representation by hotel and restaurant owners on relaxations pertaining to licence fees and other statutory charges to be paid by them due to Covid-19 curbs. The high court asked the excise authority to dispose of the same within four weeks and posted the matter for further hearing to June 17.

(Source : Indian Express)