Buddhist pilgrim's may get tax-free lodging in India

by Rajat Guha & Rajeev Jayaswal, TNN, Jan 18, 2008

NEW DELHI, India -- The Budget may have a special package for pilgrims. The finance ministry has in-principle agreed to extend a five-year tax holiday to budget hotels on the Buddhist circuit.

Prime Minister’s infrastructure committee has, however, suggested to the finmin broadening its scope to include all heritage and pilgrim destinations. In Budget 2007, the finance minister had announced a five-year tax holiday for budget hotels in the National Capital Region (NCR) to create infrastructure for Commonwealth Games, 2010.

Tata-owned Ginger Hotels, Clarks Inn, Choice Group, Lemon Tree and Bharat Hotels could be some of the major beneficiaries of the proposed move. Besides corporates, the tax incentive would encourage local entrepreneurs to invest in hotel projects.

There are 400 million domestic tourists, majority of whom visit pilgrim centres. If accepted, Buddhist destinations and pilgrim centres like Amravati, Ajanta and Ellora, Sanchi, Shrawasti, Sarnath, Bodhgaya, Nalanda, Rajgir, Haridwar, Mathura, Ajmer, Tirupati and Madurai would see addition of more rooms for budget tourists.

The average length of stay for a domestic traveller is estimated to be four days and only 20-25% use hotels. Most of them prefer to stay with friends and relatives due to affordability and room shortage. According to the tourism ministry, 230 million trips were undertaken by domestic tourists in the country in 2002, and 61 million were accounted for by urban residents and 169 million by rural inhabitants. The country desperately needs hotels as it faces a shortage of 1.5 lakh rooms.

The government is of the view that propping up budget hotel infrastructure would also serve as a major revenue grosser for states. The creation of better infrastructure in small towns and tourism destinations would attract foreign tourists too. According to an estimate, foreign arrivals increased 85.8% to 4.4 million in 2006, up from 2.4 million in 2002. Most of the visitors are attracted by the country’s culture and heritage. India received over Rs 29,600 crore as foreign exchange revenues from tourism in 2006, registering a growth of 17.6% over 2005.

The move would also help to check rising room charges. According to a report by hospitality consultants HVS International, average room rates among three-star hotels has grown 22.4% from 2003-04 to 2005-06 at Rs 2,044 per night.

Tourism has been identified as an important sector for increasing the country’s foreign exchange earnings. During 11th Plan, the government has provided budgetary support of Rs 5,156 crore for the sector.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot
NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to 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 and Singaporeans, please make your donation to 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


TOP