Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 25: A delegation of hoteliers from Jammu and Katra today called on Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah and demanded various concessions at par with the industrial sector.
The delegation was comprised of Federation of Hotels, Restaurants, Industry & Commerce of Jammu Region (FHRICJR) senior vice president and Hotel & Restaurant Association Katra (HRAK) president Rakesh Wazir, and president Patnitop Hotels, Restaurants & Bar Association Kushal Magotra.
During meeting with Amit Shah, Wazir said tourism is the backbone of J&K and the main contributor of its economy but the hotel industry, which is the main component, is still struggling to get the basic incentives that other sectors are getting. He said that earlier hotels were provided with electricity at par with industries but that practice was stopped, and after the imposition of GST, taxes were imposed on the hotel industry, even as there was no tax on lodging before the GST regime.
“Later on refund of GST was started in various sectors, including manufacturing Industry, but hotel sector in industry is still struggling to get the refund,” Wazir said and demanded that all the benefits that are being provided to other sectors be provided to the hotel industry that is covered under Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
He said there is a need for customized schemes for all those units that have not availed any business loans. Wazir also demanded early setting up of industrial parks around Katra.
Magotra pitched for ending the dual registration of hotels and said there should be a single window for registrations instead of the dual registration with the Tourism Department and Industries Department. He emphasized that the moratorium of loans, which have turned bad due to COVID-19, be increased further.
He also raised the issue of a common sewerage treatment plant for the whole Katra town, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, to keep the Ban Ganga and other water sources clean.
The Home Minister heard the delegation patiently and assured them to look into the points raised by them.
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