Early Times Report
Jammu, June 16: Stranded J&K residents arriving in the Union Territory are alleging that they are being overcharged in paid quarantine facilities at private hotels in Jammu city and other areas.
A man who returned from Bangalore through special train told Early Times that he selected a hotel for quarantine as per his budget but, “I was charged double than the rent which was fixed at the Railway Station.” Another man who returned from New Delhi narrated the same story. “There is no check on hotel rent being charged from travelers. After I reached there I was surprised when the hotel management told me double the amount that was decided at Railway Station,” he added.
“In the time of emergency when people are trying their best to defeat the deadly coronavirus, these hoteliers under the very nose of the administration are overcharging the helpless people”, he said. Complaints of overcharging by the hoteliers in paid quarantine facilities are very common these days, said a senior officer deployed at Jammu Railway Station, and added that it’s a serious matter. “The matter was raised with the concerned officers, but no action has been taken yet,” he added. “There should be a display of accommodation/hotelwise rate for paid quarantine, so that people are not exploited”, the officer opined. “In this crucial time when five star hotels in country are charging 50 percent of their actual charges, in Jammu normal hotels are charging double of actual rates”, he said, adding that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) should conduct a random check of the designated hotels for quarantine to expose the malpractices. Deputy Commissioner Jammu Sushma Chouhan, when contacted said, “I will check, and action will be taken if something fishy is found.” |
