Hotels, Permit Rooms And Bars in Pimpri Chinchwad to Shut On July 14 In Protest Against Steep Tax Hike
Hotels, Permit Rooms And Bars in Pimpri Chinchwad to Shut On July 14 In Protest Against Steep Tax Hike
Pimpri, Pune (July 12, 2025): The Pimpri Chinchwad Hotel and Restaurant Association has announced that all hotels, permit rooms, and beer bars in the city will remain closed on Monday (July 14) to protest against the state government’s “unjust” tax hike on liquor vendors.
Association president Ganesh Kudale stated that the government has arbitrarily increased taxes multiple times this year, with VAT hiked from 5% to 10%, annual license fees raised by 15%, and excise duty increased by a massive 60%. This is the third tax hike in a year, which has put hoteliers under severe financial stress and threatens the closure of businesses and a rise in unemployment.
At a meeting held on Saturday at Pimpri Ganesh Hotel, office bearers Ulhas Shetty, Prasad Shetty, Navin Laigude, Padmanabh Shetty, and others highlighted that despite repeated representations to the government, no action has been taken. Therefore, a statewide bandh has been called by the All India Hotels and Restaurant Association (AHAR) on Monday, in which over 20,000 hotels and restaurants across Maharashtra will participate.
Prasad Shetty warned that the hospitality industry, with an annual turnover of ₹1.5 lakh crore, faces an existential threat due to these measures. The industry employs nearly 20 lakh people and sustains around 48,000 suppliers.
The association pointed out that while the central government is promoting Mumbai as an international tourism hub with the help of the World Bank, the state government’s tax policies are destroying the hospitality sector, which is a backbone of tourism and the economy in cities like Mumbai and Pune.
All licensed hotels, bars, and restaurants in Pimpri Chinchwad will join Monday’s statewide protest as a mark of dissent against what they call a punitive taxation regime, the association confirmed.
