The Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industries-Kashmir (CCIK) has expressed its anguish over the non-extension of lease of hotels in Gulmarg.
The chamber in a statement said, “the members of the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industries-Kashmir (CCIK) and business community of Kashmir particularly the tourism players are in deep shock over the aggressive and coercive measures taken by authorities against hotels in Gulmarg who have been existing there from more than 40 years. As informed though all the formalities for extension of lease have been completed by the lessees in time their lease has not been extended for reasons best known to the powers that be. It may not be improper to say that they are being penalised for no fault of theirs.”
The statement further quotes CCIK, “We approach the authorities to stop taking such unilateral and un-warranted action against the hoteliers who are already under stress and depression due to failure of tourism since August 2019, actually even before, coupled with the onset of terrible COVID Pandemic throughout the present year.”
The Chamber said that it is a matter of great regret that this action has been taken by the authorities at a time when they are talking high of tourism revival in the valley more particularly in Gulmarg. It questioned how people will visit Gulmarg at the time of “Khelo India Sports Festival” being promoted by the authorities “in view of hoteliers being put in these traumatic circumstances.”