Water rates give hotel body jitters
After the BMC announced the hike in water tariffs, the Association of Hotel And Restaurant Owners (Ahar) has appealed to the civic body against levying charges to hotels and restaurants under the commercial category. They say that they will otherwise have no other option but to increase the prices of food.
Apart from water, cost of other necessities like gas, sewage tax, vegetables have gone up in the last year and now the BMC has also proposed to increase water tariffs.
“Abroad, even the water which is served is charged, but in India we do not charge for it. Now the BMC has proposed a hike in water tariffs which will pinch us hard,” said Sudhakar Shetty, president of Ahar.
As per the tabled proposal, the residents will have to pay `4 per 1,000 litres, as against the existing `3.50. However, when it comes to hotels and commercial users, the hike is proposed to be around `60 per 1,000 litres as compared to the current `38.
“We have appealed to the BMC that hotels and restaurants should be classified into a new category, which is between domestic and commercial so that the hike does not affect either us or the customers adversely,” said Mr Shetty.
He added that the association had called for feedback from its members and based on this, the body will make a final call on whether the rates should be hiked to ensure that hoteliers don’t suffer losses.
In the last three years around 300 hotels have shut down in Mumbai, Mr Shetty added, “The small joints that cater to the lower class are the ones who suffers the maximum due to such hikes.”
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