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NDMC using building collapse in CP as an excuse to shut our terrace operations: Restros

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The sealing of the rooftop areas of 21 outlets in CP last Friday came as a shock to restaurateurs, and sources say that the NDMC may decide to revoke the licence of 21 eateries, too. It is being said that they decided to seal terraces of restaurants keeping in mind the safety of heritage buildings after part of a building in CP’s C Block collapsed recently.
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This is not the first time when restaurants in CP have faced this. In 2015, NDMC sealed 13 outlets for extending their operations to their rooftops on the ground that utilizing such areas required a separate licence. Delhi tourism minister Kapil Mishra had intervened then and asked the council to allow restaurant rooftops to operate . As per reports, last year, New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA) expressed disappointment over inaction by the civic body against rooftop restaurants and NDMC had decided that since CP is a market with heritage buildings, rooftop restaurants needed to be shut down.
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Disappointed by the sealing of terraces of 21 outlets, restaurateurs say that they have been “trying to address the issue of open air dining and come up with a solution in discussion with NDMC, but the efforts have born no fruits.”

‘NDMC needed an excuse to shut terrace operations, we were served noticed 20 days before building collapsed in CP’
Open air dining has been one of the many issues causing conflicts between NDMC and restaurateurs in Delhi. In the past, there have been instances of authorities sealing rooftop operations of restaurants in areas like CP, Khan Market and Hauz Khas Village temporarily. This time, restaurateurs say that NDMC officials “have given us the reason that keeping in mind the safety of heritage buildings in CP after a building collapsed in C Block, they have decided to seal rooftop of restaurants, but we were served notices 20 days before the building collapsed. A part of the building collapsed due to different reasons, the owner of that building was not running a rooftop restaurant there, so what is the logic?” Priyank Sukhija, owner of Lord Of The Drinks (whose rooftop was sealed), says, “The officials just came and sealed the rooftops and at the time of sealing no activity was happening there, nobody was being served, so in a way, they have shut the rooftop illegally. NDMC doesn’t have clear policies when it comes to restaurants serving outdoors and this time they are using the building collapse as an excuse rather than finding out reasons why that part of building collapsed, about the structural changes that were made. They just come and seal terrace operations, how logical is that? We do not understand, that when clubs are allowed to serve food and liquor in the open, and NDMC has its own food festival where food and liquor is served in open, then why target business of restaurants?”

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‘Business karne ab Delhi se bahar jaye kya?’
Restaurant owners say that they “feel helpless since officials can walk into the restaurant any time and say yeh illegal hai, yeh band karo, ye seal karo. We have no choice but to follow what they say.” Dinesh Arora, owner of Unplugged Courtyard, says, “In the last few days we have lost business by 40% and it is not just because of the sealing of rooftop operations, they have also put a ban on serving herbal hookahs at our outlets, something which is allowed in Delhi. How many issues we do we fight for? If running rooftop operations is illegal, then why do some outlets in other areas of Delhi are allowed to do so? Out of all the markets and hubs in Delhi, it was Connaught Place that came up as a viable option to run a restaurant – it is a central location, well-connected with modes of transport, enough parking space, open area and tourist hub. But once CP was coming up so well and was becoming the F&B hub, NDMC is coming up with new rules every day to curb business and make things difficult, should we now go outside Delhi to run business?”

Zorawar Kalra, owner of Farzi Cafe in CP, adds, “We have to be explained what are we doing wrong when we serve food in the open area. When one travels to places like Spain, France, open air restaurants attract a lot of tourists. Why can’t we do that? Also, by running rooftop operations (terrace dining is very much in demand and brings in major profit during the winter season), every stakeholder – consumer, restaurant owner, authorities (we pay high taxes) – is happy and is not running in losses. We have no option but to follow the government’s rules, but it is high time that the authorities takes a relook into the way they allow us to run our businesses.”

We are still hoping for a dialogue with NDMC on the issue of open air dining: NRAI
Permission to be allowed to run rooftop operations has been on the priority list of National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) and after this latest sealing of 21 terraces of restaurants in CP, Riyaaz Amlani, president NRAI, says that they are again looking at having a dialogue with authorities. “We have been fighting the cause of rooftop operations for a long time now and we have been insisting that if the NDMC has a problem, that should be discussed and we will come up with a solution keeping in mind all the stakeholders – authorities, restaurateurs and consumers. We are still hoping for a dialogue to resolve this issue. We will move court only when we will feel that there is no scope of having a dialogue with the authorities,” says Riyaaz.

Source: Times of India

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