Single-window licence for hotel ind to be considered: Chavan

Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan today said that the state government would set up a panel headed by the chief secretary to look into the 'single window' licence system for the hotel industry.
       
"Multiple licenses issued by various departments have become outdated and the need of the hour is to have a 'single window' system," Chavan said at the 15th Convention of the Hotel and Restaurant Association (HRA Western India) here.
       
Over 400 delegates from the Hotel and Restaurant sector from the Western region attended the two-day convention which commenced yesterday in Mumbai.
       
Chavan also assured the delegates that training would be provided by the police to hotel staff as security has emerged as a major concern for the hospitality sector.
       
He also said that the industry should make 'affordable hotels' for the common man in small cities such as Nashik, Nanded, Latur and Aurangabad, amongst others.
       
"My government is not here to do business, but as a facilitator...to see the interests of the state and its people," he said.
        
"Our role would be to see that more employment is generated and also our coffers are filled with revenues, but not by taxing at high rates," he said.
       
Maharasthra is not in favour of levying high taxes, Chavan said.
       
Chavan also agreed with HRAWI about the need for rationalisation of taxes and electricity tariffs.
       
"Reasonable taxes will help the industry to grow further," he said.
       
"Goa is a safe destination for tourists and no untoward incidents have happened after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, even though there were reports that Goa would be targeted by terrorists," Goa's chief minister, Digamber Kamat, said.
       
Regarding the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules, Kamat said he has apprised union minister of state for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, about the hurdles being faced by the hospitality sector due to the CRZ rules and hoped to get it resolved soon.
       
Goa is a model centre for the tourism sector, Kamat said, adding that "Goans love to work in the hospitality sector rather than in other sectors."
       
Due to CRZ rules, several projects have become unviable and this has helped other countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand to attract global tourists, HRAWI's President, S P Jain, said.
       
Mercury Travels' Executive Vice-Chairman, Ashwini Kakkar, who also spoke on the occasion, said that "travel and toursim has grown significantly with a growth rate of 6 per cent GDP, while the country's GDP is 6.9 per cent.
       
Even the employment growth is 7.9 percent in the hospitality sector, he said.