Team Herald
PONDA: The lockdown relaxation may have come as a relief for the hoteliers in Ponda, who have reopened their hotels. However, the hoteliers claim that their business has suffered a jolt with the rising COVID cases in the State, which have prevented the locals from having their favourite “bhaji pao”.
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Blaming the rising coronavirus cases, a hotel owner in Ponda complained that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected his business and claimed that he is struggling to meet the expenses to run his business including salaries of few waiters, who have agreed to work for less.
The waiters too complained that they are forced to wait for the customers to arrive. Most customers are scared to eat “bhaji pao” these days, but prefer a cup of tea or coffee. However, the customers these hotels get are few migrants.
“The COVID pandemic has made it difficult for our survival as very few customers visit our hotels. Business has been reduced to around 30 per cent,” complained another hotel owner.
Similar is the case of owners of hotels serving meals, who have complained of receiving few customers.
Meanwhile, owners of gaddas selling “mirchi pao”, “omelette pao” said they were running their business between 5 pm and 10 pm and were getting several customers. Sandeep Naik, who sells “omelette pao” in the town said, “Though we are permitted to conduct business by the Ponda Municipal Council (PMC), but the time restriction has affected our business. We have to wind up by 8 pm and cannot carry out our business till late night.”
Naik said he used to pay Rs 150 daily as tax to PMC, but with no customers he was forced to temporarily shut his “omelette pao” business. After 8 pm, the market is empty.
