MCB snaps sewer connection of hotel

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 15

Workers of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) today plugged the sewer connection of Hotel Alaknanda, located on Arya Samaj Chowk here. The action was taken against the hotel by the MCB following the owner’s failure to respond to the two notices served by the corporation.

“Through two separate notices, we had sought explanation from the owner of the hotel pertaining to the generator set of the hotel placed outside its premises and another one pertaining to the non-availability of parking space for the vehicles of those staying at the hotel. We had been receiving complaints pertaining to the issues from residents and other shopkeepers of the area. The owner had failed to respond to the notices and hence, we had to resort to taking action against the hotel and MCB workers went and plugged the sewer connection of the hotel,” said the commissioner of MCB, Dalwinderjit Singh.

Meanwhile, the owner of the hotel met the president of the Punjab Hotel Association, Satish Arora, and brought the issue to his notice. In his defence, the owner, Bhalinder Singh, stated that the allegations and objections raised against his hotel didn’t hold ground.

While he accepted that the generator set had been kept outside the hotel, he claimed that the piece of land on which it had been installed was also a part of the hotel premises. Refuting the allegation pertaining to flouting of building bylaws, he argued that since his hotel had been constructed before revision in the building by-laws came into being, the property didn’t have a parking lot.

He also argued that a large section of his clientele comprised of those travelling by bus or trains and travelled to his hotel by means of public transport since the hotel is located in a crowded locality and has not parking lot. He also argued that since his hotel had no restaurant, there was no possibility of people coming to the hotel for a few hours to dine and park their personal vehicles on the road.

Commisioner, the MCB, however, maintained that the sewer connection will be unplugged only after the owner would fall in line and furnish a response to the notices.