Punjab’s Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann condemned the Centre for imposing a 12 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) on inns, saying it targets the devotion of pilgrims staying at sarais near Golden Temple.
A 12 per cent tax will be levied on all hotel rooms below Rs 1,000 per day, as decided by the GST Council in June.
“I strongly condemn the central government’s decision of levying 12 per cent GST on ‘sarais’ located near the Golden Temple. This tax has been imposed on the devotion of pilgrims,” he tweeted.
On Monday, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) also criticised the government for imposing taxes on sarais.
After receiving notification from the GST council, the SGPC began charging 12 per cent GST on the room tariffs provided to devotees visiting the Golden Temple, it added.
The apex gurdwara body said that every day, lakhs of pilgrims from across the globe visit and pay their obeisance at the Golden Temple, and the Sikh body has made arrangements for their accommodation.
“But sadly, the government of India has put an additional burden on sangat (congregation) by imposing GST on sarais,” SGPC assistant secretary (media) Kulwinder Singh had said.
SGPC said that inns built for pilgrims arriving at gurdwaras are not commercial properties and therefore, levying tax on them is unfair.
On Tuesday, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the GST, saying it has shocked the Sikh community.
“Central govt decision to impose 12 % GST on accommodation charges in 3 ‘Serais’ run by SGPC outside Sri Darbar Sahib premises has shocked Sikh community. These Serais cater to devotees from across the world & are non profit institutions. I request PM @NarendraModi not to tax devotion of pilgrims & revoke this totally unjustified decision,” she tweeted.
