Srinagar, July 20: The Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHARA) today accused the SASB authorities of not allotting the helicopter ticket quota to the association.
 “Where all other tourism trade associations of the Valley have received the quota from the board, the KHARA has been deprived of it,” said President KHARA Siraj Ahmad.
 He said the KHARA is the apex body of hoteliers, guesthouses owners and restaurateurs of the Valley, having been established in 1956. “Given the vast representative character of KHARA, it has always been its endeavour to protect, project and promote the interests of tourism industry, tourism bodies as also the SASB, yet we have been discriminated against by the Board,” he said.
 Siraj said a delegation of KHARA had approached to R K Goyal, CEO, SASB on May 31, 2011, with a written representation addressed to the Governor N N Vohra who is also the chairman of the Board, seeking allotment of helicopter ticket quota, “so as to facilitate the yatris staying or who had made booking in the hotels and guesthouses of our members.”
 Goyal, he said, assured the delegation of favourable consideration. “However to our utter dismay, nothing came to be heard from the CEO, despite the fact that a number of representations were sent to him thereafter.”
 “Being a cause of serious concern, the issue was placed before the Managing Committee of this association on June 29 and July 7, wherein the members expressed their protest about the discriminatory approach of SASB authorities towards KHARA,” he said.
 Meanwhile, the association has appealed governor N N Vohra and SASB to allot sufficient quota to the KHARA. It has also sought a high level probe into alleged black marketing of the aircraft tickets. Repeated attempts to contact SASB authorities proved furtile.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 IST