‘Unfair to deny advance money for an event that has been cancelled due to COVID’

Mysore/Mysuru: The Trustees of Sri Vittala Rukmini Convention Hall Trust has set a model to all Choultries in Mysuru by refunding the full advance amount for all the weddings that have been cancelled. 

Twenty-two weddings had been booked between March 16 and June 18 and all the people were personally called by the Choultry management and refund cheques have been given to them, said Ramesh Najare, Trustee of Vittala Rukmini Convention Hall (Kalyana Mantapa). 

“COVID-19 is a global pandemic and our customers have no fault in this. As it is not right to hold back the advance amount, we have returned the money in full without even cutting a single rupee. Denying refund for a marriage that has not been conducted in a particular Choultry is grave injustice to customers,” Ramesh told ‘Star of Mysore.’ 

Trust President Jayaram Lalige said that the pandemic has affected all the businesses and the customers have no fault in this. “It is their hard-earned money and it is not right for us to deny the refund. We took a decision in the Trust and refunded the entire amount to all wedding parties. Many customers who have got their money back have appreciated our humanitarian gesture,” he added. 

Customers praise move

‘SOM’ called up a couple of customers who had booked Vittala Rukmini Kalyana Mantapa and they were thankful to the Trust for returning the money. “We had booked the Choultry for Mar. 16 and 17 and we have postponed the wedding due to COVID-19. We thank the Choultry Trust for refunding the entire Rs. 50,000 taken as advance,” said Gangadhar, a medical store owner in Vijayanagar. 

Bilikere Eeranayka too got his advance money of Rs. 50,000 back for the wedding he had planned on May 14.  H.D. Krishna had booked the Vittala Rukmini Kalyana Mantapa for a wedding on May 15. “We were forced to conduct wedding in a small way in a temple. As the wedding was not held at this Choultry, the management called me and gave a full refund of Rs. 60,000 advance amount,” said Krishna, a private vehicle driver at Sharadadevinagar.