Tulsipur (Dang), Oct 22: Hotel entrepreneurs in Tulsipur have demanded the local administration that it permitted the operation of hotels till 11:00pm. They argued the hoteliers were facing hard times after the Covid-19, so the time for running hotels needs to be extended till 11:00pm.

Proprietor of Kumakh Café, Tuphan KC, said, “Hotel business which was hit hard by Covid-19 is gradually normalizing. So government needs to be positive towards hotel business.”

Although the District Administration Office had allowed the hoteliers in written for running business till 11:00pm, the security agency has been closing down the hotels at 9:00pm. The forceful closure of hotels has rendered negative impact on business, according to KC.

If the hoteliers were allowed to open till midnight, it would be easier for the new visitors coming from outside cities as well. The local administration could pay heed to this issue, the hoteliers argued.

FNCCI district chapter chair Binil KC seconded the hoteliers that it was wrong in the part of police to close the hotels at 9:00pm. There is no decision made to this end either, he added.

However, Deputy Superintendent of Police in Tulsipur, Anil Thakuri, denied closure of all sorts of hotels. Only pubs were asked to close by 9:00pm, he asserted. “Those running in a good manner were not intervened, but pubs are not permitted to open after 9:00,” DSP Thakuri made it clear. The inns are closed down reasoning the possible criminal activities in the wake of festivals.

Similarly, Chief District Officer Krishna Prasad Lamsal said, “Local administration can allow running business as per need. There are over 500 hotel entrepreneurs in Tulsipur.”He also reiterated that local administration could take decision citing security. Till date, no separate decision was taken on the period for hotel operation.