Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA: Nov. 8: Former president, Hotel and Restaurant Association, Katra and a social activist, Shiv Kumar Sharma made an appeal to Advisor to LG, UT, J&K Baseer Admed Khan and Sarmod Hafeez, Secretary, Tourism and Culture, J&K UT urging them to settle the problems being faced by the hoteliers, guest houses owners in UT as Tourism Department has all of sudden stopped considering the registration and renewal of registration certificates of hotels and guest houses etc.
He demanded that registration be made once on the pattern of Industries and other departments. This matter has already been taken up through meetings with higher authorities, but Tourism Department has observed that NOCs from Fire, Pollution Control Board is a pre-condition for registration of new cases and renewal of existing licenses. On the other hand Fire and Pollution Control Board have their requirement to obtain registration, renewal from Tourism Department before giving NOCs to operate hotel and guest houses not only at Katra but in the entire UT of J&K with the result that most of the hotels and guest houses are operating in the UT without registration and renewal of certificates.
Further, Sharma said that Tourism Department has started construction of a TRC building at Jammu road Katra, but its work has been abandoned half way. It will be in the best interest of the pilgrims of Mata Vaishnodevi shrine as well as locals, if the construction work of the structure is completed immediately and put to use for the public domain.
Sharma showed concern that the dues payable by the Tourism Department on account of celebrations of Navratra Festivals by various committees at Katra are pending since long and he urged the Department to clear the pending dues immediately so that further similar work is continued without any further delay.
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