Delhi CM launches Bread and Breakfast Scheme

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Sep 3 (UNI) In an endeavour to address problem of shortage of hotel accommodation in Delhi during the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today launched the Bread and Breakfast Scheme, which allows city residents to offer a temporary paying guest kind of accommodation to those visiting the city within a regulated framework.

Speaking after inaugurating the scheme, an ordinance for which has already been passed by Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna, the Chief Minister said the launch of the scheme was an endeavour in the direction of meeting shortage of tourist accommodation in the city in the run up to the 2010 Commonwealth games.

''The launch of the scheme comes at a time when there is, in the coming years, likely to be an increasing influx of tourists in the city in the run up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games,''Ms Dikshit said.

She said the basic aim of the Bread and the Breakfast Scheme was to provide an affordable accommodation to foreign tourists who arrive in the city, which is the venue of several International conference, seminars and festivals as well as those who come here on a private visit.

''It will specially serve as a boon for those who do not have any corporate or institutional support to back them and are looking for a family atmosphere during their stay here. The advantage of this scheme is that it enables the tourists to experience a family atmosphere during their stay in the country. The guests will experience the closeness and the traditional warmth that we Indians are so famous for worldwide,'' Ms Dikshit said.

The NCTDelhi (Incredible India) Bed and Breakfast (Registration and Regulation) Ordinance 2007 allow people who intend to offer their house for guests to do so through a system of registration by a prescribed authority.

The only condition is that there should be adequate space to house the guests and the owner should be able to provide them good quality food prepared in hygienic conditions and also proper sleeping arrangements.

A classification committee of the Delhi Government will inspect and evaluate the services to be provided after which the prescribed authority will grant registration to the owner.

Once the said property has been registered, it will be included in a list of the Bread and Breakfast director of the Delhi Government which will then be available to all tourists on the website of Delhi Tourism.

Speaking on the occasion, Delhi Tourism Minister Aravinder Singh said, ''With today's launch, Delhi has become the first state in the country to bring an ordinance on the Bread and Breakfast Scheme. A legislation in this regard will be brought in the Legislative Assembly soon.'' The Minister said the implementation of the scheme would meet the severe shortage of tourist accommodation in the city apart from serving the purpose of employment generation.

''The distinct advantage of this scheme is that the owner of the accommodation will not have to undertake any marketing effort to sell the space in his property. The Government will market your space for you. Other advantages are that one does not have to pay any VAT or luxury tax, there are nominal charges for registeration of one's property,'' the Minister said.

Speaking on the occasion, Delhi chief Secretary S Narayanswamy said the Bread and Breakfast Scheme was in a way a rechristened form of the earlier 'Paying Guest Scheme'.

''It was seen that the registeration under the 'Paying guest' scheme never exceeded 75 in an year due to stringent rules applicable to those who applied for registration. The new legislation, under which the earlier scheme has been rechristened ''the Bread and Breakfast Scheme'' has been worked out by several officers under the leadership of principal secretary Rakesh Mehta.'' With this, Delhi has become the first state to introduce a legislation for this purpose,''Mr Narayanswamy said.

UNI

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