No ‘eating out’ norm, cops spoil foodies’ feast time

With no way to eat out in restaurants owing to COVID-19 lockdown, food faddists have already been enduring tough times. Now, they feel that due to police interference at public places where consumers, who wish to buy food from hotels and bring back to their living rooms, are often intercepted, queried and even disallowed, citing curfew violation.

It has inconvenienced consumers many a time as they have no alternative to take to roads to get food parcels. Moreover, the suspension of online food delivery service adds to the woes, Ramesh Devadoss, resident from Kochadai, Madurai, said on Sunday.

Not only the consumers, but hoteliers are also facing difficulties as the hotel industry is at the risk of experiencing business downturn at this juncture, KL Kumar, president, Madurai District Hotels Association, told DT Next. Due to police interference, business in hotels, the service sector, has faltered. With a variety of hotels numbering around 300 across the district, only seven big hotels came forward to render parcel service. Owing to COVID-19 uncertainty, many workers moved away to their native places. With limited workforce, few such hotels are now serving the public. The workers from parts of Koodalnagar and Tamukkam Grounds had a tough going after being intercepted at six locations before reaching Mattuthavani. Fearing police action, many workers are reluctant to report to duty. After the issue was taken to the knowledge of authorities, they decided to provide passes to hotel workers, Kumar said.

Raj Konar, proprietor of non-vegetarian hotel in Simakkal, said since sheep could not be purchased from other districts owing to lockdown restrictions, meat varieties could not be delivered to consumers.

Saleem Raja, a hotelier from bypass road, said nowadays parotta master could not be afforded owing to police interference.