Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 3
Employees of Hotel Saramati, Dimapur broached the issue of pending salaries at a reception organised by the Nagaland Hotels Limited (NHL) for the entity’s newly inducted Advisor on April 3 at the hotel.
At the programme, the employees impressed upon the NHL Advisor, Ato Yepthomi to address the pending salaries of the hotel’s 49 employees. According to the employees, they have not received their salaries for the past seven months. While the hotel has been refurbished, the employees further raised concern over revenue generation and the employees struggling without pay.
Yepthomi, in response to the appeal, assured to take up the matter with the government. He admitted that he may not be able resolve all the issues facing the day to day aspect of running the hotel at once but added, “I’ll do whatever I can.” For the industry to grow, he added that they have to work together.
NHL - a subsidiary of the NIDC – is a Nagaland government undertaking and also includes Hotel Japfu, Kohima. In terms of hospitality, he said that the two hotels have been delivering despite the hardships. While stating that the hotel industry cannot be taken for granted and overlooked, he said that as a business entity it cannot solely depend on governmental assistance. He said that the nature of the industry demands self promotion while delivering.
Building an identity for itself or brand image and standing out will go a long way in living up to the two hotels 3-star categorisation, he said.
He also informed that there is a proposal for more NHL hotels at Nerhema and other districts as well. Meanwhile “I have suggested the state chief minister that there is more to do for the NHL and he has assured to help us in any way,” he said.
He further termed that the proposal to merge the NHL with the Tourism department as a good idea. He though added that the pros and cons have to be thoroughly measured before finalising it.
