The Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board has revised its Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) fees. Small hotels are among the hardest hit — with fees rising by up to 150% in some cases. The new fees apply to new and existing establishments.

What changed

  • Small hotels face up to a 150% hike in operating costs from the revised fees, as reported.
  • The board is reportedly issuing closure notices for non-payment.

One verified example

  • Green category, 10–13 rooms, project cost up to ₹1.50 crore:
    • 5-year CTO fee: ₹72,000 → ₹1,80,000 (an extra ₹1.08 lakh over 5 years)
    • Annual fee: ₹14,400 → ₹36,000

Bigger hotels

  • Orange category, more than 20 rooms: 5-year fees are roughly ₹3–5 lakh, depending on project cost. The exact figure varies by project cost, so no single figure is given here.

What hotel owners say

The Himachal Hotels and Restaurant Associations have urged the government to reconsider, saying small tourism units should not be treated like large industrial units.

The full official fee table has not been verified against the board’s own notice — the figures above are as reported, and the Green-category example is the verified one.

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