Belagavi lodge owners yet to get 15% dues for last year's Assembly winter session

Owners of lodges and resorts in Belagavi are ‘reluctant’ to let their properties on rent for this winter session of the legislature, scheduled at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha from December 19, as they fear that like last year, their bills may not be cleared fast this year too.

Owners of at least 10 noted lodges confirmed to DH that the government had not cleared pending bills of last year for rooms they let out to accommodate ministers, legislators, officials and media persons. However, the district administration claimed that they have cleared 100 per cent of the approved bills.

DH is in possession memorandum copies and pending bills of a few hotel owners, which were submitted to district administration as late as first week of November, requesting the administration to clear the bills.

Except for one hotel, which had lent out 80 rooms for ministers and senior leaders from ruling and opposition parties, other lodge owners said the government was yet to clear 10-15 per cent of the dues.

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Sources in district administration told DH that last year, the government had hired 1,900 rooms in 74 hotels at pre-Covid tariffs. However, neither the deputy commissioner nor the sources were aware of the total expenditure the exchequer had to bear for accommodating those attending the winter session.

This year, the administration plans to hire 2,100 rooms at 82 hotels. Deputy Commissioner Nitish Patil said the government had already released Rs 8 crore for the accommodation of dignitaries.

Belagavi Hotel Owners’ Association president Vijay Salian confirmed that there was a delay in the release of bills to lodge and resort owners. “The association had made several representations to the administration to clear the dues. It was only a fortnight ago that a majority of the owners received 85 per cent to 90 per cent of their dues,” he said.

No choice

“Officials claimed that they have not received funds from the government to clear the bills,” said the owner of a hotel, who is yet to receive Rs 1.25 lakh of the total Rs 21 lakh for 40 rooms he had let out for 10 days to accommodate principal secretaries, grade 1 officers and others.

None of the hotel owners were willing to come on record fearing ‘government action’ or further delay in payment. The worst affected by the delay were owners of new properties.

“Covid-19 had completely destroyed us and now, the government is holding back our payment. How can we manage?” one of them said.

He had let out 74 rooms for Rs 13.5 lakh during the session. Even after receiving the second instalment 15 days ago, he is yet to get Rs 90,000 from the administration.

All of them said they were reluctant to rent out properties to the government this year, but had no choice. Sources said several officials had already started occupying the rooms.

Vittal Hegde, who has been supplying food to dignitaries (including legislators and grade 1 officials), said the estimated cost of boarding during last year’s session was Rs 30 lakh, out of which the government was yet to clear Rs 1.15 lakh.

“I am yet to receive tax certification from the government, to file IT returns,” he said.

DC Nitish Patil told DH that the administration had cleared all pending bills that were approved.

“The claims being made are additional and unapproved. If the owners present proper bills, we will clear them,” he said and added that none of the owners is reluctant to let out properties for this session.

“I have assured the hotel owners that this year’s bills will be paid soon, as last year, the delay was due to ‘election’ and frequent transfers of officials.”