Katra hoteliers demand continuation of exemptions to tourism industry

By
Daily Excelsior
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Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA, July 31: A meeting of Hotel & Restaurant Association, Katra,  was held here today under the chairmanship of its president Rakesh Wazir and decided that matter with regard to exemptions to tourism industry and hotels, guest houses, house boats, lodges etc  in particular be taken up at all quarters,  including Chief Minister in a big way.
The meet explained that the GST implementation in J&K will certainly hurt the tourism industry, the backbone of J&K economy, in a big way. Keeping in view the condition of J&K in mind the successive Governments of J&K had exempted the hotel industry from any type of taxes on accommodation and had levied a small tax on food items but with the implementation of GST, the huge taxes ranging from 12 percent to 28 percent have been levied on hotel industry which will kill the tourism industry which is already on the death bed and it would be an extra burden on tourists/pilgrims, the Association members explained.
Wazir, while speaking on the occasion, said that due to continuous turmoil in J&K, the hotel industry was already crawling and imposition of huge taxes in the shape of GST will kill this industry. He appealed the Chief Minister to intervene into the matter and continue the exemptions which were already there with hotel industry.
He explained  that the same yard sticks can’t be adopted in whole India because Himachal Pradesh ,Goa, Rajasthan, Kerala, Delhi or other peaceful States with huge flow of  tourists there  whereas  the condition of J&K has been  becoming from bad to worst as for as tourism is concerned and imposition of any new tax will severely  the industry, he said and added that  whatever tourism is prevailing in the State is pilgrimage tourism and imposition of tax in the State in fact would be tax on pilgrims and the pilgrimage taxes too should be avoided as a matter of policy.
The meeting was attended by the Association chairman Shyam Lal Kesar, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Virender Kesar, Sham Sharma, Raj Kumar and others.

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