There are no customers. I have grown up in Paharganj, but have never seen it so lifeless,” said Vinod Kumar, a trader at Baoli Chowk. Krishna Cafe, which was across his shop, went bankrupt and shut down permanently. “The place used to be full of foreigners. Last month, they came and moved out of all their goods. Hotels and cafes running out of rented premises have either closed down or are on the verge of closure,” he added.
Paharganj used to be a commercial hub bustling with life with cafes and entertainment centers teeming with tourists. But nowadays it’s a pale shadow of its former self. Posters of closure and locked gates dominate the scene. Apart from the iconic German Bakery, many smaller cafes have permanently closed down.
Mohammed Shoeb went back to his native place Kishanganj after Shelton Hotel in Paharganj was shut down because of the pandemic, but the 23-year-old cook has now been calling his manager frequently to inquire when he can return and join work. As of now, there’s no clarity on when Delhi’s hotels will be back in business.
The same kind of desperation is being felt by 20-year-old Mohammed Tausif, who comes from the same place as Shoeb. “I returned to Delhi around two weeks ago. There are hundreds of hotel employees who are finding it difficult to sustain their families. Much more than the disease, hunger will kill them,” Tausif added.
The local association of hotels said there were close to 650 big and small lodging houses in the area employing over a lakh people directly and indirectly. Daljeet Chadha, the head a hotel association and owner of a budget hotel on Ara Kasha Road, said every unit like his with 20-25 rooms gave livelihood to many. “Many of us have taken the premises on lease. With over four months of closure, how are we expected to keep paying the lease amount and bills?” he asked.
The hopes of many employees rose briefly after the Delhi government announced that hotels would be opened in Unlock 3.0. But they were dejected after the LG didn’t give his nod to the proposal. There are around 2,600 budget hotels across the city, with most being concentrated in Paharganj, Karol Bagh, and Mahipalpur. While each unit directly employs 20-25 people, they indirectly help provide a livelihood to suppliers of food, milk, newspapers, and laundry services. “Even with no operations, we are spending up to Rs 1 lakh as fixed charges for maintenance, electricity bills, and salaries”.
Pawan Mittal, who owns Hotel Star View near Imperial cinema, said he had asked his employees to return after the announcement was made. “My staffers had been calling me for the past month asking when they could return. I had to ask them to stay put. We have already purchased disinfection equipment. The government is making us pay commercial taxes and utility bills, but not allowing us to function,” he added.
News Courtesy: ET
