90 more hotels lose power, water in Dharamsala

DHARAMSALA: As many as 90 more illegal hotels in the upper Dharamsala area have lost power and water connections. The power and IPH departments snapped their connections on High Court’s orders. This has taken the number of illegal hotels, who have lost their power and water connections, to 145.

IPH Department employees cut the water supply of a hotel in Bhagsunag on Wednesday. Photo: Kamaljeet

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 21

As many as 90 more illegal hotels in the upper Dharamsala area have lost power and water connections.

The power and IPH departments snapped their connections on High Court’s orders. This has taken the number of illegal hotels, who have lost their power and water connections, to 145.

Executive Engineer, HPSEB, Dharamsala, Gautam, said the power supply to hotels in McLeodganj, Dharamkot and upper Bhagsu had been disconnected.

Earlier, the district administration had snapped water and power connections of 55 hotels in McLeodganj and its surrounding areas. These hotels had neither been registered with the Tourism Department nor their maps were approved by the Town and Country Planning Department or the Municipal Corporation.

These hotels had not paid any taxes for years. It was only now after the intervention of the High Court that action had been taken against these.

The power and water supply was disconnected by a team of officers of the Electricity Department, IPH Department and revenue officials. The officials did not receive any resistance from hotel owners and were able to execute the orders of the court smoothly.

However, hoteliers held a meeting at Bhagsunag today to ponder over the future strategy.

Most of the hotels were located either on the Jogibara road leading from Dharamsala to McLeodganj, the Temple road in the heart of McLeodganj, Dharamkot and on McLeodganj-Bhagsunag road.

With such a large number of hotels losing their power and water connections, it is going to be tough for tourists in the Christmas holiday season. The hotel owners said they had to cancel all bookings for Christmas holidays, they said.

Since 145 hotels have been lost water and power connections and are going to be closed, about 2,000 people related to the hotel industry are likely to lose their jobs.

Evading taxes for years

The power supply to hotels in McLeodganj, Dharamkot and upper Bhagsu has been disconnected
Earlier, the administration had snapped water and power connections of 55 hotels in McLeodganj and its surrounding areas
These hotels had neither been registered with the Tourism Department nor their maps were approved by the Town and Country Planning Department or the MC
These hotels had not paid any taxes for years