Hotel owners in Srinagar seeks rollback of user charges 

The Srinagar Municipal Corporation has issued notices / bills to all the hotel, guesthouse and restaurant owners in Srinagar asking them to deposit hitherto unknown ‘User Charges’

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Accusing the Srinagar Municipal Corporation of imposing unwarranted taxes on hospitality sector, the local hoteliers, guesthouse owners and restaurateurs have demanded immediate rollback of ‘user charges’.

President, Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHARA) Siraj Ahmad said: “The SMC has issued notices/bills to all the hotel, guesthouse and restaurant owners in Srinagar asking them to deposit hitherto unknown ‘User Charges’.”

Siraj said the SMC cannot take the hoteliers for a ride and demand huge sums on account of ‘user charges’, when, according to him, the corporation does not provide full sanitation to them.

“We are already paying licence see fee under Food Adulteration Act. Besides, we also pay the sanitation fee to the corporation,” Siraj said, adding that the “hefty bills served on them on account of ‘user charges’ were totally “unwarranted”.

He said earlier the hotels in A-category would pay Rs 500, B-category Rs 300 and for C-category Rs 150 as sanitation fee. “But now we are being asked to deposit Rs 5000 under A category, Rs 3000 for B and Rs 1500 for C  as user charges.”

Echoing same concern, President Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Federation (KHAROF)  Faiz Ahmad said: “It is a  unwarranted move by the SMC. They should have first consulted us and talked to the Hoteliers and Guest House owners about the user charges. “

He said there is a proper procedure to follow whenever a Corporation, Institution or Government intends  to revise tariff or  Taxes; a process of consultation  with trade and stakeholders is undertaken  and their  suggestions respected, as is the case during pre-Budget consultations held by the Finance Minister.

The hoteliers alleged that the SMC is acting like a dictator and has arraigned all authority and powers to itself and raised this tax which is unjustified.

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