Just a couple of days after some key announcements were made in the Delhi Excise (Amendment) Rules, 2021 – published in a gazette notification on Monday – a delegation of restaurateurs met Delhi’s deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. The meeting, attended by members of the NCR Restaurant And Club Association, was to get clarity on the reopening of restaurants, which are currently open only for takeaways and delivery, as Delhi starts the unlocking process after going through the peak of COVID second wave. Restaurateurs also requested authorities to allow them to adjust the excise fee paid by restaurants and clubs for the first quarter (which was paid in March 2021) in the second quarter of the financial year. After the meeting, Dinesh Arora, President of the association, told us, “Last year, we were given this exemption after the lockdown, and this year, too, we had paid the excise fee for the first quarter without realising that restaurants would remain closed for most part of this period. We’ve had zero sales owing to curfew and other restrictions. We’ve got a very positive response and we are hoping that we shall be granted this.”
Though it is still unclear when restaurants will be allowed to open for dine-in in Delhi, restaurateurs are requesting authorities that whenever they reopen, they should be allowed to function at full capacity and for regular hours (till 1am). “If our timings are restricted till 10pm, it becomes an issue as we have to incur the costs of running a restaurant but can’t earn revenue, as closing at 10pm means we have to take our last order by 9pm. We lose our revenue for evening hours, which is the business hour for us. So, we have told the authorities that we can keep our outlets shut (or remain open for delivery and takeaway) till the time they deem fit, and have requested that when restaurants open for dine-in, we should be allowed to operate till 1am,” said Akshay Anand, Vice President of the association.
Talking about the meeting, restaurateur Joy Singh, General Secretary of the association, informed, “It was a fruitful meeting and it was a discussion about reopening business, timelines, conditions, SOPs that should be followed. We are expecting to get an update in a week’s time.”
Restaurateurs are also looking forward to the implementation of amended rules in the excise policy. They are hoping that they will be allowed to serve liquor in open areas from October this year. “Restaurants will be allowed to serve liquor in open spaces such as terraces, courtyards, balconies, and that can help us increase our revenue. We are hoping that this will be implemented from October this year,” said Arora.
