Bhubaneswar/Puri: Demanding relaxation in COVID guidelines at ceremonial events, members of the tent house, catering, flower, light, and sound associations staged a protest at Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar on Monday.
The business of all these people has suffered a setback in the last two years due to the first and second waves of the Corona pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.
Now, the fresh COVID guidelines continuing the ceiling of 25 guests at weddings and 20 at funerals and thread ceremonies has come as a further setback to those in the catering business.
They have demanded the government to allow 300 people instead of 25, at ceremonial events.
“We have not been getting any work for the last two years. There are 5,000 owners and a staff of 10 lakh. We have to pay for their survival. Now we are also struggling to fulfill our daily needs. The state government should allow 300 guests, instead of 25 in the events,” said a member of the association.
“If the government can open shopping malls, cinema halls and parks, then why is relaxation not possible for our business? We are prepared to work according to the government’s COVID guidelines,” said another member.
In Puri, people involved in all such businesses have submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik through the Collector.
“The state government should relax the restrictions imposed on ceremonial events. Instead of 20 and 25, at least 300 guests should be allowed. We don’t have income now but have to give the EMI. We are unable to give salaries to our workers also. We are feeling helpless now,” said Dambarudhar Das, member of an association in Puri.
