U’khand gets Alaknanda resort

Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service 

Dehradun, January 15 

In a major boost to the efforts of Uttarakhand government, the issue of handing over the Alaknanda resort located at Haridwar has been amicably resolved.

“It is a big achievement for us, as the Uttar Pradesh government submitted an agreement affidavit regarding the settlement of Alaknanda resort located at Haridwar in the Supreme Court today. We have now got the resort,” said Chief Minister TS Rawat. 

After the Supreme Court stepped in, the Uttar Pradesh government was forced to agree to the state government’s plea that it would provide land in lieu of the resort. It was a major money churner for the UP government all these years. 

According to the affidavit that was presented in the court, the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Board agreed to develop a hotel in two years on a piece of land measuring 2964 meters provided by the Uttarakhand government. The site is near the Alaknanda Hotel and Ganga Nahar. 

“The site that we have chosen will be used for developing a hotel by the UP Tourism Department in two years during which the Uttarakhand government will cooperate in providing clearances and other formalities for setting up the new hotel, after which the deed and management of the Alaknanda Hotel will be transferred to the Uttarakhand Tourism Board,” said Dilip Jawalakar, Secretary, Department of Tourism. Further, the Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation will independently run the new hotel.

Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh government had transferred 1,19,000 sq feet under the control of the 

Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department to Uttarakhand. The 17-year-long dispute neared resolution after the Supreme Court, while hearing a writ petition urged both the states to sort out the matter.