Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 17: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) office bearers team led by its president Javid Ahmad Tenga met the Director Tourism Kashmir, Raja Yaqoob Farooq today.
The KCCI senior vice president, Ashaq Hussain Shangloo and the secretary general Faiz Ahmad Bakshi were present in the meeting. Senior officers of the Department of Tourism were also present.
The office bearers discussed various issues faced by Hospitality Sector including Hotel/ Restaurant/ Travel Trade etc. in running their businesses smoothly. The KCCI raised the unresolved issue of renewal of Registration Licenses of Hotels/ Guest Houses/ Lodges/Resorts/House Boats/Restaurants etc.
The Director was apprised of the difficulties faced by the tourism stakeholders in general and Hospitality Sector in particular in getting their Registration certificates renewed. KCCI expressed deep concern over the delay of months and years instead of days because of the requirement of obtaining NOC’s from various Government departments.
The KCCI president raised the matter of notices issued by the Department of Tourism to a couple of Hotels which the KCCI president termed as unfortunate in view of these hotels having applied for renewal of licenses but the Department of Tourism not having done the same on ground of non-submission of one or two NOCs. They along with other stakeholders have applied for the same but the concerned Departments take months and years to issue NOC’s. The notices issued to these hotels need to be withdrawn.
Tenga reminded the Director Tourism about Prime Minister’s ambitious policy of “Ease of Doing Business” which seems to have taken a backseat as far as renewal of Tourism Registration Licenses are concerned. He added that KCCI had taken up the matter with Lt Governor, Chief Secretary and other concerned officials also, and will pursue it further.
The KCCI team commended the Director and other officials for bringing sanity to Gulmarg by taking revolutionary measures resulting in transforming Gulmarg as a popular tourist destination but had gained notoriety for harassment and mistreatment of tourists. The tourists are expressing much relief at the steps taken at Gulmarg which needed to be followed at other tourist destinations as well.
Director sought KCCI’s support in regulating services by stakeholders.
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