MC unaware as sealed hotel begins functioning

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 11

A hotel, which was sealed by Municipal Town Planning (MTP) officials when it was under construction, has began functioning in the city. Though it has opened in broad daylight after an impressive ceremony, the officials concerned are unaware of it.

The hotel is located at Kucha Tarkhana, Gali Lalan Wali, Katra Ahluwalia. It was sealed a few months ago by the MC authorities.

Pardeep Bhatia, an RTI activist, claimed that he had been informing MC officials about the ongoing construction of the hotel, but they turned a blind eye. “The owners of the hotel had been taking up construction work regularly from an adjoining building which is also owned by them. I wrote several times to MC Commissioner Sonali Giri, Municipal Town Planner (MTP) IPS Randhawa and Assistant Town Planner (ATP) Parminderjit Singh. I have met several officials concerned a number of times, but in vain,” he said.

According to Bhatia, eventually, he had to file an RTI query following which the MC replied that the officials concerned visited the site and found the sealed building as its adjoining one locked. The reply reads “Field staff have visited the site many times. Every time, both buildings were found locked.”

On November 2, the owners of the building organised Akhand Path in the sealed building and finally inaugurated the hotel. Bhatia said he immediately informed Assistant Town Planner Parminderjit Singh, but no action was taken.

Now, the complainant has written to senior officials of the Local Bodies Department, accusing civic body officials of being hand in glove with the errants.

Assistant Town Planner Parminderjit Singh said, “That building was sealed by the department. I am not aware of the opening of the hotel. If the owners have violated the norms, we will write to the police for registration of a case against them.”