HSVP to identify illegal guest houses in Panchkula

ribune News Service

Panchkula, February 3

Concerned over the mushrooming of illegal guest houses in Panchkula, the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) has decided to hold a survey to identify the houses where commercial activities were taking place against the bylaws.

The HSVP Estate Officer has directed the junior engineers to hold a survey to prepare a list of violators not only in the city but also in district so that notices could be sent to them.

According to sources in the HSVP, the violators were not only causing losses to the state exchequer by not paying taxes for commercial activities but also causing losses to the tune of lakhs to the Electricity Department.

Confirming the development, Estate Officer Ashutosh Rajan said they had been receiving complaints about illegal guest houses, being run from residential areas. He said the junior engineers had been directed to file a report after holding a survey about the exact number of the guest houses operating in the city.

He said notices would be sent to the violators on the basis of the survey report.

Rajan said he had also issued notices to seven hotels—Western Court, KC Crossroads, Prabhat Inn in Sector 10, Escape Bar and Restaurant in Sector 5, Gopal Sweets and Indian Chaat House in Sector 8— to remove illegal constructions and to follow the rules.

The Estate Officer said notices were also being sent to house owners for using their basement for commercial purposes.