HRAWI OPPOSES THE BAN; TERMS THE DECISION ARBITRARY & HARMFUL FOR TOURISM

Daman Administration Bans Live Orchestra Performances

In Hotels & Restaurants

Daman: The office of Deputy Collector of Daman has recently issued a circular revoking permit for live orchestras in hotels, bars and restaurants. The reason for the ban has been cited as a way of preventing Daman from becoming a hub for prostitution and other illegal activities. The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI), terming the move as arbitrary, without basis and effectively harmful for tourism, has opposed the ban.

“The administration claims that there may be cases of prostitution and illegal activities taking place under the pretext of live orchestras. But this is baseless and merely presumptive. Concluding that all live orchestras are indulging in such practices is arbitrary and sets a bad precedent. Many hotels and restaurants that have heavily invested both capital and time for setting up infrastructures are now in a soup on account of this ban,” says Mr. Bharat Malkani, President, HRAWI.

Last year the Daman administration had formulated a policy of allowing orchestras for entertainment of visitors. Quite a few hotels in the region had obtained the licenses for the same, mainly in Dabhel and Bhimpore.

“Hoteliers and restaurateurs are in a fix. They invest in businesses and projects based on stable Government policies. Every enterprise is built around projected returns on investment. But if policies are changed arbitrarily, they will not be able to plan for future. In specific relation to this ban, many hoteliers had invested in artist promotion and popularizing the concept of live orchestra. With this immediate ban, not only the enterprises will begin to incur losses immediately but also tourism as a whole will be hampered. With New Years eve just a month away, a sudden jerk in the mechanism of hospitality will certainly be a cause for tourists to withdraw their visits and/or stays from here to other places, eventually resulting into deficit in revenues for the state’s coffers as well,” he adds.

“We stand by the administration for its stance against illegal activities under the disguise of live performances. The law should be vigilant and should take action against erring establishments who bring a bad name to the region and tarnish the reputation of tourism in the state. However at the same time, we request the administration to look at the flip side of the decision and reconsider banning all the establishments from conducting business ethically,” concludes Mr. Malkani.