Tourism body resents non-adherence to Assembly decision on power tariff

Hoteliers attending meeting of J&K Tourism Co-ordination Committee at Jammu on Saturday.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 1: J&K Tourism Co-ordination Committee has expressed its resentment over the Power Development Department’s move of reversing the Assembly decision on charging power tariff from Hotels and Resorts at par with Industrial rates.
To discuss the issue, a meeting of the Co-ordination Committee was held, which was attended by chairman Jammu & Kashmir Hoteliers Club and Chairman Kashmir Tourism Co-ordination Committee Mushtaq Chaya, president Hotel & Restaurant Association, Katra & Co-Chairman PHDCCI Jammu Region, Rakesh Wazir, president Jammu Hotel, Restaurant & Bar Association Kuldeep Wahi, Secretary Hotel & Restaurant Association Northern India R D Anand, Raju Choudhary and Sidhant Choudhary (Ramada Jammu), Chander Gupta (Fortune Raviera Jammu), Chander Shekher (KC Resid-ency), Vikram Gupta (Radisson Blu Jammu) and others.
The participants reminded the decision taken by the Assembly according to which Hotel & Resorts be charged Power tariff at par with Industrial rates and Government’s Finance department had also issued order No.267-FD of 2018 dated 30.05.2018 even to that effect while the Department of Power too started that exercise accordingly. However, they added, it is really surprising that few days back the department suddenly stopped enrolling the remaining hotels and asked that even the existing hotels already given the effect thereof will get stopped, on the plea that departmental approval has not come.
The Co-ordination Committee asked that whether the Power Department is over and above all the legislations/budget commitments. “If Power Department does not obey the Assembly directives then we too are not bound to obey their directives whichever are contrary to budget and Government orders,” the participants said and asked the hoteliers to pay only the electricity dues at par with Industrial rates and excess amount be not deposited.
The Co-ordination Committee urged the Governor and State Government to intervene into the matter otherwise it will lead to major law and order problem for which Power Department will be solely responsible.
The Co-ordination Committee further said that Tourism has been declared as industry and there was no tax prior to GST on hotels, guest houses etc but the refund to hotels is still awaited.
The meet further urged the Governor to convene a meeting with Co-ordination Committee at the earliest alongwith his Advisors, Chief Secretary and concerned Secretaries so that all the matters are discussed in detail including the proper strategy to revive tourism in J&K.

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