Chandigarh: High fare howl spurs new hotel hunt

CHANDIGARH: Many people who would be flying back home in special planes from abroad have called the fare for hotels chosen for their quarantine stay too high, pushing the UT administration to start finalising a different range of hotels.
Around 5,000 people, mostly NRIs, are expected to return to the city. The administration has so far finalised five-star Hotel Mountview in Sector 10 for the stay of NRIs for Rs 5,000 to Rs 13,000 per day fee. A city resident, who is studying in the Ukraine, posted on Twitter about the high charges on per day basis.
UT adviser Manoj Parida told TOI they are now finalising a range of hotels, including private and government, in the city, which will have different cost options for those coming from abroad.
Discussions are going on with five-star and other hotels in the city.
Earlier, the UT had tied up with the Delhi government for their stay in Delhi hotels. Now, the UT will bring these people to Chandigarh by bus after conducting their medical screening at the airport. UT DIG Shashank Anand is the nodal officer to coordinate with the airport authorities and hotels for their travel from Delhi, Amritsar and Mohali and for their 14-day quarantine in hotels.
According to the Centre’s guidelines, the home district will have to make arrangements for the NRIs.