Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo Reviews J&K Homestay Policy; Orders Financial Support and Digital Integration for Tourism Stakeholders

JAMMU, March 30, 2026: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo today chaired a high-level meeting to bolster the Union Territory’s Homestay Policy, emphasizing the critical need for institutional credit and financial inclusion to empower local tourism entrepreneurs.

Accompanied by top officials including ACS Tourism Dr. Ashish Chandra Verma and J&K Bank MD Amitava Chatterjee, the Chief Secretary highlighted homestays as a primary driver for sustainable tourism and rural employment.

He directed the integration of a seamless digital ecosystem that consolidates registration, bookings, and credit facilitation into a single unified platform.

To lower entry barriers, Dulloo instructed that flagship programs like Mission YUVA and the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) be leveraged to provide easy financing, while also exploring interest subvention mechanisms to ensure the long-term viability of these grassroots ventures.

During the session, administrative updates revealed significant policy shifts aimed at scaling the sector, including increasing the permissible room limit per unit from four to six and digitizing the entire registration process for enhanced transparency.

The Tourism Department has also moved to categorize homestays under domestic utility tariffs for power and water to reduce operational costs for homeowners.

Supporting these initiatives, J&K Bank announced a dedicated loan product offering up to ₹30 lakh at a competitive 8.2% interest rate, alongside the potential rollout of a “Tourism Credit Card.”

With over 2,600 homestays and 19,300 rooms already registered across Jammu and Kashmir, the government remains committed to transitioning secondary properties into a structured Bed & Breakfast (B&B) framework, backed by marketing partnerships with platforms like OYO to globalize the local hospitality experience.