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Banquet hall owners seek relaxation in norms for social functions
Gurugram:
Gurugram:
As the business of banquet halls and tent suppliers in Gurugram has suffered badly due to the Covid-19 lockdown, the association of party lawn owners on Tuesday called on the district administration officials and submitted a memorandum demanding an increase in the number of persons allowed in social functions like wedding, which at present is 50.
The association has demanded that at least 200 people should be allowed to attend a wedding function.
The ongoing wedding season will end on July 15, the association members said, adding that more than 1,000 wedding functions have already been cancelled across the district in the past two months.
The association said that at least 20 professions and businesses associated with the wedding industry have suffered a setback, which can only revive if the government relaxes the norm.
Apart from over 100 community centres and dharamshalas, there are around 150 banquet halls and 228 registered tent houses in the district, where 30,000 weddings are conducted every year, as per the details shared by the Party Lawns Welfare Association, whose delegation called on the Gurugram deputy commissioner.
The association further said that a large number of weddings and other functions are hosted by farmers and other people from April to July. “Around 1,000 wedding functions have already been cancelled and the rest of the season would also go waste, if the administration doesn’t increase the number of people allowed in wedding and other social gatherings,” said Anil Rao, president of the association, adding that the next season will start in November.
Rao said that the government should consider allowing 200 to 300 people in a large banquet hall, which is spread over an acre of land.
“We are ready to follow all social distancing norms, provide sanitizers, use face masks and stop buffet arrangement for food at the functions. But we need the support of government as the present norm allowing only 50 persons will end our business,” he said.
The association has demanded that in June, the number of people allowed in functions should be increased to 200 and next month to 300. “If the number of people allowed in a function is not increased, then not only banquet halls but all trades associated with the industry will suffer badly,” said Ramesh Kalra, a member of the association who was part of the delegation which met the deputy commissioner.
The Gurugram administration said that the matter raised by the association pertained to the state government. “This call has to be taken by the state based on the directions issued by the Union ministry of home affairs,” said Amit Khatri, deputy commissioner.
