Hotel Association delegation calls on Principal Secretary Industries & Commerce

12-03-2021 : A delegation of Hotel & Restaurant Association Katra (HRAK) accompanied by stakeholders from Tourism and trade while speaking to Principal Secretary Industries & Commerce J&K  Thakur Ranjan Parkash wherein Director Industries, Jammu Annoo Malhotra was also present said that Katra and around has huge potential to attract private viable investment but the need of the hour is this that we may show the investors the projects which may add on to the Tourism potential of our Union Territory and provide maximum employment to the people and may increase the stay of the Yatries and make Katra and around as hub of Tourism and should be cleared in the first go.

Rakesh Wazir President HRAK & Mentor PHDCCI Jammu while speaking on the occasion said that investors are ready for making investment in viable projects around Katra like Shiv Khori ropeway, Water amusement park at Jhajjar Kotli, Light & sound on the history of Maa Vaishnodevi Ji, and many more on private government partnership basis and if the things are expedited, we can see results within months. He further said that since Tourism is the backbone of our Union Territory thus service Industry connected with Tourism which includes Hotels etc. constitute a big component of that and is part of Industry and thus all  Industrial Benefits needs to be extended to the Tourism Sector as well like the Industrial Power Tariff benefit which was sanctioned for the year 2018-19 for Hospitality sector by J&K Government and was further validated upto March-2019 by SAC, that needs to be validated and extended once for all so that Hotels may get power at Industrial rates, similarly when GST was introduced in J&K there was no VAT or any other tax on Hotels and it was assured that GST reimbursement will be made to Hotels but nothing of the sort is made till today and be started.

Shyam Lal Kesar Chairman while speaking on the occasion said that areas which are already commercial in approved master plans be not asked for changing of their land use from Agricultural to commercial from Revenue Department because once the master plan is approved and the Revenue Minister remains one of the signatories to it, its deemed permission is already there in it.

Shiv Kumar Sharma Former President & Virender Kesar Sr. Vice President elaborated that some special package for most sufferer Hospitality Industry in lieu of total closure of the business is need of the hour and further said that there is no GST reimbursement for units which go for substantial expansion as is being given to new units and it should be done. They further said that interstate buses whosoever comes from the outside state are stopped at lakhanpur and passengers are deboarded and then boarded in J&K SRTC buses and from there the Tourists/pilgrims comes to Jammu and from there to Katra which is the main hindrance in increasing in Tourist/pilgrim inflow in our Union Territory and is required to be modified.

Naseem Chaya & Kushal Magotra emphasized for business establishments are entitled to some working capital /other loans but the court fees have been described as 1.2% of the value of the mortgaged property but in some of the cases the value of the mortgaged property even surpasses the loan amount and it should be either no court fee or 1.2% of the loan amount and clarification with regard should be issued at the earliest.

Sanjay Gupta, Vikas Gupta & Ashu Gupta requested for increasing the moratorium of hotel loans which have become bad of finding difficulty in repayment due to Covid because the Hotel Industry is the worst sufferer in Covid.