Team Herald
MARGAO: After the Goa Forward Party alleged a Quarantine-Gate Scam in the quarantine hotel facilities, the hoteliers of Margao and surrounding areas empanelled for the quarantine of persons coming from abroad have alleged scam in the entire system.
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They demanded an inquiry into the matter and will meet the Governor to complain over the scam.
Imran Sayed, managing director of Anthurium Hotel in Margao; Shane Lauren, general manager, Indismart Woodbourne Resort; Soumyadeep Das, Sapphire Hotels and 15 other hoteliers in a press briefing alleged that the officials at the District Administration are scamming the quarantine hotels by appointing middlemen and collecting commission from them.
Sayed said, “There is a woman official in the Collectorate who has threatened us of removing the names of our hotels from the list if we complain regarding the scam.”
He said, “A middleman has been appointed in the quarantine hotels booking who takes Rs 800 per night, per room, per person from them as commission and the hoteliers who claim of having reduced their prices for the betterment of Goans returning to the State are left with scanty money with which they can’t even afford to pay their bills.”
“Persons coming from abroad are coming with our pre-bookings and at the airport they are faced with a list of only four hotels. They are forced to either select them or face consequences. We have made a letter to the Collector regarding these problems and waiting for a solution,” Sayed added.
“Hotel properties are on rent and that’s a huge amount. We have electricity bills, water bills, salaries and so many payments to make. With 10 per cent occupancy we are already suffering and if such favouritism happens, the tourism and hotel industry which is on ventilator will die once and for all,” he said.
