Concessions for luxury coaches

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Concessions for luxury coaches

BHOPAL- Luxury coaches operating in the tourist circuit of the state would be exempted from luxury tax, Madhya Pradesh tourism and culture minister has said. Apart from this, in tourist hotels, luxury tax would be payable on the actual rent after deduction of the concession provided to tourists, instead of a fixed rent, the minister said.

Singh was addressing a seminar on promoting Madhya Pradesh as a tourism destination'' organised by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industries in New Delhi. He said the cabinet sub-committee on tourism had decided that instead of attracting tourists to all the tourist places, greater attention should be paid to wild-life and heritage sites. Singh said despite being declared as an international heritage, Khajuraho hadnot been properly connected by rail, road or air. An international airport had not been set up at Khajuraho despite repeated requests to the Centre, he said. The minister said most of the roads being constructed in the state under Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) were in tourist areas.

The tourism minister said Rs 45 crore had been provided for tourism development and Rs 16 crore for maintenance of heritage sites for the next three years by the 11th Finance Commission. A budgetary provision of Rs 22 crore had been made this year for development of tourism in MP, he said.

The Madhya Pradesh Heritage Trust would work for the development of Mandu, Orchha, Khajuraho, Omkareshwar and Maheshwar.

Tourism and civil aviation committee chairman V N Gadgil stressed the need for a National Tourism Policy. He lauded the new tourism policy of Madhya Pradesh. Principal secretary, tourism, Sushma Nath spoke on salient features of the policy. PHDCCI president Sushil Ansal, Tourism Development Corporation managing director D K Samant Ray and joint secretary, Union tourism ministry, Amitabh Kant were also present on the occasion.

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