Kabaddi cup: Bathinda hoteliers yet to be paid

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 13

The hospitality industry in the district is repenting for hosting international teams and guests of the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup as even after five months of the tournament, organised during the SAD-BJP government, hoteliers are running from pillar to post to get their bills cleared by the Sports Department.

More than Rs 80 lakh of eight big hotels is still outstanding against the Sports Department.

President of the Punjab Hotel Association Satish Arora said none of the eight hotels had been paid a penny. “More than five months have passed since we hosted the guests and players. Despite our good services, the government has not paid us a single penny.”

The hotels that await payment include Country Inn, Sunciti Classic, Sun Citi, Sepal, Comfort Inn, Krishna Continental, Bahia Fort and Stella.

He said they met Sport Department officials on a number of occasions, but despite assurances they got nothing till date.

He said they even met Deputy Commissioner Diprava Lakra, who had also assured that payment would be released soon.

Hoteliers demanded that the payment be released within a week, else they would be forced to take to the streets against the district administration.

“If we don’t pay taxes on time, we are heavily penalised. We have already paid the VAT and other taxes imposed on us, which forms around 20 per cent of the total amount pending with the administration. Why didn’t the government release our money,” questioned the hoteliers.

Lakra said all bills had been sent for clearance and the payments would be given as soon as the state government sends them.

During earlier editions of the Kabaddi World cup too, the payment was not given to the hoteliers on time and they had to protest, after which the payment was released.