Aurangabad, Feb 19:
The hotel business will be given industry status from April 1. The cabinet has approved the decision. Hotels will get concessions in property tax, water and electricity rates like industries. However, the formation of the committee to formulate guidelines for unregistered hotels has been delayed. The hoteliers have demanded to speed up the formation.
The hotel industry was hit the hardest during the corona lockdown. This decision has brought relief to the hospitality sector. In the first phase, hotels registered under the ministry of tourism will get the benefit under the decision of the central government. According to the industrial standards, hotels will be charged for electricity, water and property taxes, development taxes at industrial rates instead of commercial rates.
But the centre had announced the formation of a committee to give benefit to those hotels also which are not registered with the ministry. But even after two months, the committee has not been formed. So the question is whether unregistered hotels will get the benefit of industrial status or not.
The committee will formulate some guidelines to give industrial status to unregistered hotels. Hotels that comply with the guidelines and meet the requirements by then applying online will get the benefit of industrial status. The registered hotels will get bank loans and tax relief at low-interest rates.
At industrial rates, the operational costs will go down to a great extent and will be entitled to receive benefits under special schemes and subsidies.
Registration required
GR has been issued to give industrial status to hotels. But hotels registered with the central government's tourism ministry will only benefit. There are around 70 registered hotels in Aurangabad. A committee has not yet been set up to give status to unregistered hotels. So there are no guidelines. The hotel business has suffered the most financially during the corona period. Therefore, the Aurangabad hotel association has demanded that all hotels be given industrial status.