Hotel industry opposes green tax in Shimla

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 3

Opposing the move of the Shimla Municipal Corporation to levy green tax on tourist vehicles entering Shimla without creating proper infrastructure, the Tourism Industry Stakeholders Association (TISHA) today announced that the day on which the decision is implemented would be observed as “black day” by the tourism industry.

“The move is ill conceived as on the one hand the state government is organising apple and food festivals to woo tourists on the other the SMC is all set to impose green tax on tourist vehicles which would badly hit the tourism industry”, said president of the association M K Seth.

Seeking reconsideration of the decision, the association warned that in case the SMC remained adamant on its stand, the option to approach the court against the policy of imposing green tax without creating infrastructure of parking facilities would be exercised.

Asserting that the tourism is already not on the upswing, he pointed out that 90 per cent of tourist coming to Shimla are budget tourists and stay for one or two days while the SMC would charge green tax for minimum one week, which is unjustified.

Moreover, the tax is being levied in an arbitrary manner, without taking the tourism industry and other stakeholders into confidence. Even the request of the industry for a hearing to explain the ground realities fell on deaf ears.

The association argued that the green tax had been imposed in Manali but the local body ensures free parking for tourist vehicles, that too on a priority basis. This is not the case in Shimla as the tourists would have to look for “Lok Mitra” centre or other places for collection Green Tax as all the tourists are not app friendly and precious time of tourists would be wasted in the process, the association added.

The association members said that the tax would be a bane for the tourists who come to spend leisure time in the town. A penalty of Rs 5,000 for defaulters would virtually kill the tourism industry.

Groups of tourists coming from Gujarat and Maharashtra have boycotted Shimla as a destination from their travel itinerary as a sum of Rs 500 was charged from coaches who were not permitted beyond Tutikandi, they added.