In Shimla city, hotel businessmen are angry with the decision of Jal Nigam to increase the rate of water by 10 percent. The businessmen have raised the demand of the government to reconsider this decision. (Increased water rates in Shimla).
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh is recognized worldwide as a tourism state. The tourism business accounts for 4.3 per cent of the state’s GDP. Hotel businessmen, who are considered to be the backbone of the tourism business, are angry with the government these days. The businessmen have made preparations to lock their hotels and hand over the keys to Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. Businessmen say that illegal recovery of property tax and commercial water bills is being done from hoteliers. Hoteliers have demanded the government to reconsider the decision of Jal Nigam to increase the rate of water by 10 percent.
Mahendra Seth, president of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Industry Stakeholder Association, says that due to Corona, the business has already collapsed and now the water rate has been increased by the Jal Nigam in Shimla city. Jal Nigam has proposed a 10% hike in water tariff and the government has approved it. This decision will affect about 300 hoteliers of Shimla. After this hike, hotel water rate has become 67.5% costlier than commercial water rate.
He said that in all the cities of Himachal, hoteliers are charged Rs 27 per kilo liter of water and there is no slab system. Mohendra Seth said that he will soon meet MLA Harish Janartha and Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu regarding this problem. They will demand rationalization of water tariff, garbage fees and property tax being collected from hotels. If they do not get any relief from the government, then they will lock the hotels and hand over the keys to the government.
