Jaipur, May 26 (IANS) Operating commercial establishments such as hotels, gyms, beauty parlours, bakeries, sweet shops and mobile food stalls in Rajasthan is set to become significantly more expensive following a major revision in annual trade license fees by the state government, officials said on Tuesday.

The Department of Local Self-Government has issued a revised fee structure for trade licenses applicable to hotels, restaurants and several categories of commercial establishments across urban local bodies in the state.

This marks the first major revision in trade license charges since 2017, with fee hikes in certain categories reaching up to five times.

Under the revised structure, hotels with up to 50 rooms will now pay annual trade license fees ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000, depending on whether they fall under a Municipal Corporation, Municipal Council or Municipality.

Hotels with 51 to 100 rooms will be charged between Rs 30,000 and Rs 50,000, while establishments with 100 to 150 rooms will pay Rs 70,000 to Rs 1 lakh annually.

Hotels with more than 150 rooms will now face license fees ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh.

The revised rates also cover carbonated soft drink and soda outlets.

Operators in Municipality areas will pay Rs 600, those in Municipal Councils Rs 700, and establishments within Municipal Corporation limits Rs 1,000 annually.

Gym operators have witnessed one of the steepest hikes.

Annual license fees have now been fixed at Rs 3,000 in Municipalities, Rs 3,500 in Municipal Councils and Rs 5,000 in Municipal Corporations, compared to earlier charges of Rs 500, Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 respectively.

Beauty parlours will now pay Rs 1,500, Rs 1,700 and Rs 2,000 depending on jurisdiction, against the earlier rates of Rs 250, Rs 500 and Rs 1,000.

Trade license fees for mobile food vendors, including tea stalls, pakora sellers and fast-food carts, have also been increased to Rs 1,500, Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 respectively, compared to the earlier range of Rs 500 to Rs 2,000.

Alongside the revised fees, the state government has introduced stricter compliance provisions.

Commercial establishments operating without a valid trade license or failing to renew existing licenses may face immediate sealing action.

Violators can also be penalised with fines of up to Rs 5,000.

The state government has also clarified the licensing authority framework which is aimed at standardising trade licensing and strengthening regulatory oversight across Rajasthan’s urban local bodies.

–IANS

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