Himachal Pradesh homestay owners oppose proposed policy

Homestay owners have raised objections to the new homestay policy proposed by the state government. They said that several of the provisions in the policy were detrimental to their interests and would impose an additional financial burden on them.

“The proposed registration and renewal fees for homestays are too high, and the imposition of the GST is unfair,” said Tanuja Dhanta, president of the Himachali Homestay Association.

The homestay operators were not consulted regarding the proposed policy, said Rigzin Samphel Heyreppa, a representative of the Lahaul and Spiti Homestay Association. According to the draft policy, the registration fee, which was previously nil, would range from Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000.

The associations demanded a reduction in the renewal fees, an increase in the validity period, and the removal of the requirement for structure stability certificates, which were difficult and expensive to procure.