SRINAGAR: After the Jammu and Kashmir administration hired hotels to use them as quarantine facilities, the hoteliers — who have already suffered heavy losses due to restrictions imposed after August 5 scrapping of J&K’s special status — had expected some economic relief. However, the hoteliers say government has not yet paid them for hiring their hotels.
Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Federation president Abdul Wahid Malik said the administration invoked the Disaster Management Act on March 18 to take over about 140 hotels in Srinagar and Gulmarg to be used for quarantine purpose. “We suffered further losses by making hotels operational. I had to spend Rs 10,000 a day on providing warm water for 24 hours, as mandated, in all 55 rooms of my hotel. The hotel’s March electricity bill surged to Rs 88,000 and so far I have not received a single penny from the government,” he said.
Malik said when the administration took over their hotels, the officials did not fix any rate. “However, Srinagar Deputy Comm Shahid Iqbal Choudhary had assured us of compensating at reasonable rates,” he said. “We will be meeting officials on Monday and hope the rate is fixed and compensation released,” he said.