HC directs Govt to resolve matter of closed hotels

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 12: High Court has directed the Government to examine the matter for livelihood of those hoteliers whose hotels due to lack of sewage treatment facility have been closed down and take decision keeping in view the interest of the UT and these business owners.
The direction has been passed in a petition filed by Hotel Heaven Canal which was closed on April 4, 2019 by order issued by the Pollution Control Board. Owner of the hotel approached the Court with regard to the rehabilitation of hotels which are required to be closed down because of the polluted status and the court directed for placing the same before the CoEs.
On the directions of court, CoEs accorded hearing to the petitioner- hotel and noticed that the hotel was located on the Dal Lake without any sewage treatment facility and disposal of the sewage from hotel was directly flowing into the Dal Lake and recommended that the petitioner is running a commercial unit that supports a number of families and in order to support tourism, Srinagar requires good hotels.
“Hence it is in the interest of the Government and the people that whatever is possible is done for enabling such economic activities to continue but in a fair and open environment based on a transparent policy”, CoEs recommended.
Petitioner-hotel through his counsel submits that he has no intention of running the hotel at the location as it adversely impacts the pollution content of the Dal Lake. The counsel however, contended that the closure of hotel adversely affects the livelihood of the petitioner as such it is imperative that an immediate policy decision is taken by the Government for enabling to continue with the trade and business to ensure availability of good hospitality to the tourists who visit the valley.
Court has observed that the CoEs has noticed not only the closure of petitioner’s hotel but 17 other hotels have also been closed down and find that the matter involves a multiple departmental consultations.
In this view, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Puneet Gupta directed the Chief Secretary to examine the report of CoEs with optimum solution of all the issues arising.
“It shall be open for CS to appoint an appropriate committee for looking into the matter and making recommendations keeping in view of interest of UT, the residents as well as the land or business owners and the various persons dependent for lively on the related businesses and place an action taken report before the court”, DB directed.

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