E-Paper
Dine-in operations at restaurants likely to be extended till 11:30pm in Pune
City restaurants until October 5 were only allowed to provide takeaway services, but now have been given the nod to resume dine-in operations.
Despite the unlock in progress, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) continues to have some restrictions in place with regards to timings and social distancing norms in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
City restaurants until October 5 were only allowed to provide takeaway services, but now have been given the nod to resume dine-in operations.
Restaurants have now appealed to the civic body that the current dine-in timings, which are currently until 10pm, should be extended till 11:30pm.
Siddharth Shirole, MLA from Shivajinagar said, “The Pune restaurant association had approached me and they had requested me to help them extended the timings to allow dine-in facilities until 11:30pm which currently is 1pm. I have spoken to the PMC commissioner who has promised me that the deadlines will be extended post the Dussehra festival.”
Pune restaurant and hoteliers association, in their letter to the civic body, stated, “In these dire times of financial crises it would be helpful to allow dine-in timings up to 11:30pm daily. The current take away or parcel businesses constitute only a small percentage of the business, also the dine-in operations which are limited until 10pm has deferred customers from walking into restaurants as they will be forced to leave at 10 pm.”
The letter also states that many will remain unemployed if the current 10pm deadline remains. The letter has given references of Navi Mumbai Municipal corporation (NMMC), Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) and Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) which have extended the dine-in operations until 11:30pm.
