5-year tax break for new hotels in districts with Buddhist history

by Amitabh Sinha, Indian Express, June 23, 2007

New Delhi, India -- Following sustained pressure from the Tourism Ministry, the Finance Ministry has agreed to give five-year tax break to new hotels coming up in districts that have places of Buddhist importance.

Survival at stake, these idol makers keep clay at bayEvangelical activity banned at TirupathiGurgaon, Kolkata feature in list of minority districts needing attention‘Goddess’ Raje posters: Jaswant’s wife complainsViolence erupts after anti-Muslim posters show up on MSU campus

This is in line with similar tax-breaks announced by Finance Minister P Chidambaram in this year’s budget to hotels and convention centres coming up in New Delhi and the National Capital Region in the next three years. This was done to provide an incentive to the hotel industry to meet the severe shortfall in rooms in view of the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and was applicable to two, three, four star hotels and convention centres with a seating capacity of 3,000 or more.

The Tourism Ministry has been pressing the Finance Ministry to extend this provision to hotels across the country. The Tourism Ministry is of the view that lack of decent hotels is one of the biggest hurdles in the growth of tourism.

Though the Finance Ministry remains unconvinced, it has agreed to extend this provision to 19 districts in six states that have places of Buddhist interest, Tourism Ministry sources said. The Finance Ministry was expected to make a formal announcement in this regard during the next session of Parliament.

“It is a very significant decision. Pilgrimage is one of the main drivers of domestic tourism. If this goes off well, we will be able to convince the Finance Ministry about the need to extend the provision to other areas as well,” sources said. The Buddhist circuit was chosen in view of the 2,550 years of the Mahaparinirvana of Lord Buddha that is being observed since last year.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Omniscient Robotic-Being for Buddhist Understanding)

For Malaysians who wants to donate in MYR, please use the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.

Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.

For Malaysians who wants to donate in MYR, please use the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team

Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv

Search Buddhist Channel

5-year tax break for new hotels in districts with Buddhist history

by Amitabh Sinha, Indian Express, June 23, 2007