During a protest, the people dependent on the tourism sector urged the district administration and the government to drop the weekend curfew as it has been hitting their business, thus making it difficult to earn their livelihood.
The groups of workers associated with the tourism sector conducted a protest on Wednesday and alleged that the weekend curfew imposed by the state government has been unscientific.
The protest was supported by the district hotel, resort, restaurant, taxi drivers and owners associations and homestay and hotel workers association.
Gathering in large numbers, the workers registered their protest against the weekend curfew.
Prior to the protest meeting, the protesters took out a rally from Gandhi maidan to the deputy commissioner’s office.
Later, submitting a memorandum to the district administration, they urged authorities to drop the weekend curfew.
Speaking on the occasion, K K Manjunath Kumar, the president of Kodagu Pravasodhyama Avalambithara Okkuta, said that after the weekend curfew has been imposed, people depending on tourism activities are in distress.
It is on the weekends that the tourists arrive in the district. He asked what was the logic behind imposing a curfew after 2 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
“Does Covid-19 spread only during this time?” he asked.
Terming the idea of weekend curfew to be unscientific, he demanded the withdrawal of the order regarding weekend curfew immediately.
He also urged authorities to relax the lockdown rules imposed on the rest of the days and also to waive off the loans of tourism sector workers.
The workers are not able to pay the school fee for their children. They are forced to raise loans from private firms, he added.
Instead of supporting the workers, the government is making their lives difficult, he said and added that the workers have already been tormented by natural calamities in the district from the past few years.
Okkuta treasurer Padmakumar, joint secretary M B Manjunath, Brijesh, advisory committee member R K Bhat, directors Nitin Thimayya, Pravin, Salam, Sanju, Sada Muddappa, Rahul and Mudduraj took part in the protest, among others.
Social distancing was absent during the protest held in front of the DC’s office.
Even though the organisers requested the protesters to follow the norms, the latter did not pay heed.
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