Mumbai, July 9 -- The hospitality industry in Maharashtra which is being pushed to the brink by soaring taxes and relentless levies, endangering both the sector's future and the livelihoods of millions, today demanded government's intervention. In less than a year's time span, the industry has faced back-to-back financial shocks. Value Added Tax (VAT) on liquor has been increased from five percent to 10 percent. This was followed by a 15 percent hike in licence fees for the financial year 2025-26. Now, the State has hiked excise duty by a whopping 60 percent. Taken together, these triple hard blows make the business unsustainable in light of the fact that the industry is still reeling from the economic aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic....