To tighten noose around illegal home-stays, Himachal govt to make re-registration mandatory, violators to face heavy penalty
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TNR Desk
DHARAMSHALA: All home stay and bed and breakfast units in Himachal Pradesh will now have to re-register themselves as the state government is planning to tighten the noose on units running illegally.
In this regard, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu introduced the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development, Registration Amendment Bill, 2023, in the Assembly. All units will have to apply for registration within 30 days of the Bill being notified. The applying entities will not have to pay the fee till the expiry of their existing registration licence.
After the expiry of the licence period, the registration fee fixed by the government will have to be paid. Tourism units will have to complete all the registration documents and other formalities within 90 days. Home stays are opened in Himachal Pradesh under a scheme of the state government and ‘Bed and Breakfast’ scheme of the Tourism Ministry of the Central Government.
Under both these schemes, tourists do not have to pay any tax on accommodation. Under the Tourism Development and Registration Act, 2002, there was a provision of six-month imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 for operators of unregistered units.
The government has made a provision in the amendment Bill to abolish the six-month sentence and increase the fine from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh. After registration, the licence will be considered valid for two years.
The state government will now change the name of water cess to water commission. An amended Bill regarding this is being brought in the Assembly on Thursday. This amended Bill will be re-introduced by Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri. There are many water-related issues in Himachal, which will be brought under the water commission.
