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Now shell out more to book rooms at 3 Golden Temple sarais
Saragarhi Niwas was opened in 2017 at the cost of Rs. 44 crore to provide hotel-like accommodation to the devotees at nominal charges. The SGPC charged Rs. 1100 per room from the devotees in this sarai
While Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) will be soon coughing up ₹2.31 crore as Goods and Services Tax (GST) towards the government from room tariffs of Saragarhi Niwas, the only luxury sarai (inn) at the Golden Temple, three more sarais in the vicinity have come under the GST regime. The newly taxed sarais- Guru Gobind Singh NRI Niwas, Baba Deep Singh Niwas and Mata Bhag Kaur Niwas, like the luxury sarai, as per a government notification, have now come under the 12 percent GST category.
Saragarhi Niwas was opened in 2017 at the cost of Rs. 44 crore to provide hotel-like accommodation to the devotees at nominal charges. The SGPC charged Rs. 1100 per room from the devotees in this sarai. “It was last year that some of the hoteliers, not so happy with the opening of this sarai, lodged a complaint to the government that the SGPC does not pay GST for it. As a result, the government had asked us to pay GST with retrospective effect. The government claimed Rs. 2.31 crore as GST dues including Rs. 48 lakh fine. We are clearing this amount in a day or two,” said Sulakhan Singh, manager of the Central Sikh shrine.
As per the previous notification, GST is applicable for room booking if the tariff is Rs. 1000 per day or above. Since the Centre imposed a claim of GST on the luxury sarai, the SGPC had reduced the charges to Rs. 999. However, as per new notification, GST will be applicable for the sarais situated outside the gurdwara premises. The central government has considered Guru Gobind Singh NRI Niwas, Baba Deep Singh Niwas and Mata Bhag Kaur Niwas outside the premises of any gurdwara.
While Guru Gobind Singh NRI Niwas is situated outside the Golden Temple complex on Akal Takht side, Baba Deep Singh Niwas is located opposite Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj near Golden Temple. Mata Bhag Kaur Niwas is situated near Inter State Bus Terminal.
All these sarais are associated with the Golden Temple and meant for the accommodation of the devotees visiting the Central shrine. However, as per sources, the SGPC failed to convince the authorities concerned that these sarais are part of the gurdwara.
The levy of GST on room charges of the three sarais will also lead to higher tariffs. Earlier, devotees paid Rs. 300, Rs. 500 and Rs. 700 for an air-conditioned room in Mata Bhag Kaur Niwas, Baba Deep Singh Niwas and Guru Gobind Singh NRI Niwas respectively. The devotees will now have to shell out 12 percent more than the earlier charges.
In the statement, SGPC assistant secretary (media) Kulwinder Singh Ramdas said this decision of central government is “highly condemnable”, and this “anti-Sangat” decision should be withdrawn immediately. He said lakhs of pilgrims from across the world visit to pay obeisance at Sri Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple) every day, while the Sikh body had made arrangements for their lodging by setting up the sarais.
“It is quite sad that government has put an additional burden on the Sangat by imposing GST on the sarais,” said Ramdas.
He said that the SGPC uses the offerings made by the sangat (devotees) for the management of the gurdwara for the convenience of the sangat. “Moreover, from time to time, the Sikh body under its principle of public welfare also remains at the forefront by providing humanitarian assistance during natural calamities, he said, adding, “The sarais prepared by the SGPC for the convenience of the pilgrims arriving at the gurdwaras are not commercial. Hence any kind of tax on them is government’s injustice”.
Earlier, Centre imposed GST on purchase of Langar items for Golden Temple and other gurdwaras. However, after resentment from the Sikh bodies, Union government introduced ‘Sewa Bhoj Yojana’, a scheme under which the government provided to refund GST charged on purchase of items for Langar.
