Srinagar, May 30: The Valley hospitality sector has resented the hike in water tax for hotels and guesthouses in the Valley.
 President, Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners’ Federation (KHAROF), Faiz Ahmad Bakshi told Greater Kashmir that PHE Department has effected steep hike in the water tax for the hotels and guesthouses in the Valley without taking the stakeholders into confidence.
 He said the hoteliers have been shocked to see the inflated water usage bills. 
 Bakshi said some hotels have been served with bills that show the tariff hiked by several thousand times.
 “We were shocked when one of our hoteliers received a water usage bill of Rs 1.20 lakh.  Earlier we used to pay Rs 300 to Rs 500, but the sudden steep hike has left us high and dry. It is totally unjustified, how can the government charge us so much?”
 “There is no justification for hike. It seems that government has increased the water tax duty because of good tourist season ignoring that the hospitality sector was badly affected during 22 years of turmoil and it has just begun to show signs of revival,” Bakshi said, adding that government should not tax the hoteliers so much as it affects their business and burden hotel industry.
 Chairman, Hoteliers’ Club, Mushtaq Ahmad Chaya told Greater Kashmir: “The hike is uncalled for. Nowhere in the world you will find such steep hike in the water tariff. Kashmir is known for its water bodies and glaciers and water is the only resource which is available here in abundance, so if government taxes us even on water, it will have serious ramifications hotel industry.”
 “The exorbitant hike is hitting hoteliers below the belt. Many of my colleagues, who until last year were paying Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000 water tariff will now have to pay several times more, which is totally unjustified,” Chaya said .
 President, Kashmir Hotels and Restaurants Association (KHARA), Showkat Chowdhary said: “We are shocked by the unmanageable hike. Hotelier are getting water usage bills asking them to pay more than Rs one lakh, which is  totally wrong on the part of government. Even our D class hotels have received bills of Rs 24000. Earlier they used to pay Rs 500 per annum.”
 Chowdhary suggested: “State government should first take stakeholders on board then hike the water tariffs.”
 Pertinently, officials in PHE on condition of anonymity said that they were reviewing the “inflated” bills served on the hoteliers.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 30 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 30 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 IST