New Delhi, May 26 (IANS): The Centre cracked the whip on Tuesday after learning that many hotels used for quarantine facilities that have taken an advance of 14 days' stay are refusing to refund the remainder to international passengers who are now free to go home after just spending seven days in institutional quarantine, after the government came up with new rules.

"It has been brought to the notice of this ministry that Indian nationals who were quarantined in hotels after their return from abroad were made to pay advance for 14 days. Since they can now leave for home quarantine after 7 days, the amount paid by them for the remaining 7 days needs to be refunded to them, which some hotels are refusing to refund," wrote Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla in a letter to Chief Secretaries of all states.

Now, Bhalla has asked the state governments to step in and issue directions, if the need arises, to all such hotels earmarked for parking international passengers for quarantine purposes so that they refund the "balance amount, without any delay".

The Ministry of Health in an order dated May 24 said that the protocol for institutional quarantine was revised to 7 days followed by 7 days of home quarantine after medical assessment.