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| After 14 years, Govt fails to renew lease of hotels in Pahalgam | | | Saahil Suhail
Pahalgam, Jan 29: Despite passage of over 13 years, The Jammu and Kashmir government evidently failed to renew the lease of the hotels in this world famous tourist resort which expired in the year 1997, thus incurring huge losses to the state exchequer. It also has failed to check the encroachments by those hoteliers.
In the year 1957 the Bakshi Ghulam Muhammad led government keeping in view the accommodation of the tourists decided to provide 1000 Kanals of state land to some private parties on lease for 40 years for undertaking construction of hotels and guest-houses mostly in the main market.
Though the lease of these hotels expired in the year 1997 but 13 years down the line the government is yet to renew it.
"The matter regarding the renewal of the lease is pending in the administrative department and they are yet to give a green signal," sources said adding that it would generate lot of income if it is renewed.
Sources further say that the hotel owners have violated all the norms and encroached more land than they were allotted. " Most of the hotel owners have illegally occupied three times the allotted land in their surroundings and have raised structures even in the area full of green vegetation and near to the Lidder river," they said adding that the government should assess the quantity of land allotted on lease and the land in use.
They further said that government has not even bothered to review the rent of the leased land that the hoteliers are supposed to pay towards the revenue department. "If the hotel owners don't have lease any more I fail to understand how they manage to get permission for re-constructing , repairing or increasing the bed capacity of the hotels," sources said. Sources said that Tehsildar Pahalgam after joining the post had taken a step ahead and had formed a performer as to get the details of land under the occupation of hotilers as well as their other details. However due to political and bureaucratic pressure, the officer could not move ahead. |
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