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| Hoteliers protest against DC Srinagar for ordering closure of hotels in summer capital | | To approach High Court for seeking relief | | Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Nov 22: Co-ordination Committee of three parallel hotel associations of Kashmir has expressed strong resentment over the orders of Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar to disconnect power and water connections to hotels that don't have Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs).
In a statement, the coordination committee comprising of Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHARA), Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Federation (KHAROF) and Pahalgam Hotel and Restaurant Owners Association (PHAROA) said that they have decided to approach High Court in order to get relief from the directives issued by Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Shah for ordering disconnection of power and water supply of 108 hotels operating in the Srinagar city. The statement said that a delegation of Co-ordination Committee comprising of Chairman Faiz Bakshi, President KHAROF G. M Dug and President KHARA M. Showkat Chowdhary held a meeting with Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Shailender Kumar and lodged a strong protest against the unwarranted action of State Pollution Control Board and District Administration Srinagar. The statement said that Co-ordination Committee has decided to approach the High Court for seeking justice in the matter and pray for withdrawal of directives issued by State Pollution Control Board for suspending the commercial Operation of hotels. "This action has been taken on the directive of Chairman State Pollution Control Board, Vinod Ranjan. These hotels were ordered to suspend their commercial operation which they had complied with as per the directives of the State Pollution Control Board. However, the District administration without any legal authority in an unprecedented action asked the Power Development Department and Public Health Engineering Department to disconnect power and water connection to these hotels," said the statement. The statement termed the action as high-handedness of State Pollution Control Board and District Administration Srinagar. The Co-ordination Committee alleged that selective 'punitive' action is taken against the hotels operating in Srinagar city or tourist destinations of Kashmir like Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg. The statement said that sealing of hotels on the pretext that they don't have STPs is non-sense since state government in its cabinet meeting held on 18-11-2013 decided that government will construct Common STPs for hotels. "It is relevant to mention that under Government of India funded JnNURM scheme, the funds for upgrading of Sewerage System and the construction of Common Sewage Treatment Plants in Srinagar and Jammu cities for which a considerable work has been executed in Srinagar city. This fact has also been confirmed by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Development Department," said the statement. The Co-ordination Committee said that it has already been confirmed that all the hotels would be connected with Common STPs in phases till March, 2014 and March, 2015. |
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