Jaipur: Expanding the scope for industrial benefits, state government allowed the hotels having 10 or more rooms and those in RIICO areas to be covered under the scheme. Besides, rural tourism units and hotels of RTDC have also been included for getting the benefits of industrial status.
After the inauguration of Rajasthan Domestic Tourism Mart on Saturday, Gayatri Rathore, principal secretary (tourism) said that the chief minister has approved the new category of hotels and tourism units to be covered under the scheme. Earlier hotels having more than 16 rooms were eligible for getting industrial benefits, which include rebate in electricity rates and urban development tax, among others. The decision is also in conformity with the Centre’s definition of hotels, which require 10 rooms or above.
While announcing the inclusion of RTDC hotels under the scheme, the corporation’s chairman Dharmendra Rathore said that leasing out of the properties under Operation and management mechanism is not of the table. “We have renovated many properties of RTDC. Now, they can also get the benefits of industry status. But we are working on the exercise to give the hotels under O&M mechanism,” said Rathore in reply to a question.
However, given the fact that the code of conduct for assembly elections will be in place in less than three months, it is unlikely that RTDC can release the hotels to O&M players. The leasing out issue has been dragging on for two decades.
Chairman of Rajasthan Small Industries Corporation Rajiv Arora said the private sector is counting on Rajasthan tourism. “The private sector is bullish on the prospects of tourism in Rajasthan. During the Invest Rajasthan Summit, MoUs were signed for 372 tourism projects with an invest of Rs 13,500 crore.”
While the inflow tourists create more economic opportunities, they also exert pressure on the environment and local resources.
Apurv Kumar, president of Federation of Hospitality and Tourism of Rajasthan (FHTR), said, “We cannot turn a blind eye to the issues of sustainability. We must adopt best practices to ward off the negative impact of tourism. It’s time we both industry and the government joined hands and layout a roadmap for sustainability.”
After the inauguration of Rajasthan Domestic Tourism Mart on Saturday, Gayatri Rathore, principal secretary (tourism) said that the chief minister has approved the new category of hotels and tourism units to be covered under the scheme. Earlier hotels having more than 16 rooms were eligible for getting industrial benefits, which include rebate in electricity rates and urban development tax, among others. The decision is also in conformity with the Centre’s definition of hotels, which require 10 rooms or above.
While announcing the inclusion of RTDC hotels under the scheme, the corporation’s chairman Dharmendra Rathore said that leasing out of the properties under Operation and management mechanism is not of the table. “We have renovated many properties of RTDC. Now, they can also get the benefits of industry status. But we are working on the exercise to give the hotels under O&M mechanism,” said Rathore in reply to a question.
However, given the fact that the code of conduct for assembly elections will be in place in less than three months, it is unlikely that RTDC can release the hotels to O&M players. The leasing out issue has been dragging on for two decades.
Chairman of Rajasthan Small Industries Corporation Rajiv Arora said the private sector is counting on Rajasthan tourism. “The private sector is bullish on the prospects of tourism in Rajasthan. During the Invest Rajasthan Summit, MoUs were signed for 372 tourism projects with an invest of Rs 13,500 crore.”
While the inflow tourists create more economic opportunities, they also exert pressure on the environment and local resources.
Apurv Kumar, president of Federation of Hospitality and Tourism of Rajasthan (FHTR), said, “We cannot turn a blind eye to the issues of sustainability. We must adopt best practices to ward off the negative impact of tourism. It’s time we both industry and the government joined hands and layout a roadmap for sustainability.”
