Industry gives call to regularise hotels in state's residential areas

Hotel owners in Rajasthan have requested the newly-formed BJP government in the state to take steps for regularisation of hotels situated in residential areas.

According to industry estimates, there are about 8,000 hotels and guest houses across the state, which are still waiting to be regularised. They are situated in residential areas and are facing problems in running them.

Hotel owners feel that if their problems are resolved, Rajasthan will progress significantly in tourism.

Also, tourists can get top class facilities in these hotels and guest houses after regularisation.

Rajasthan Hotel Federation president Hussain Khan said its main demand is for the regularisation of these hotels, which has been stalled for around 20 years.

In such a situation, the government should make new policies and try to regularise these hotels, he added.

Senior vice-president of the Federation Ranvijay Singh said that due to no regularisation, there are huge problems in the operation of these hotels.

Without regularisation, hotel owners cannot get loans from banks.

Hotels with 15-50 rooms incur huge maintenance expenses every five-seven years.

They also have to spend a huge amount on interior changes every two-three years.

A hotel owner cannot get this work done on his own without taking a loan. Hotels cannot undertake urgent repairs due to lack of loans.

If the government changes the rules and regularises them, it will be good for the state’s tourism sector, Singh said.

Singh added that the government must come up with a new policy for these hotels and guest houses and regularise them by putting some riders.

Singh said, “We recently met urban development minister Jhabar Singh Kharra and apprised him of the problems. He promised to look into them and come up with a solution.