Give relief or face stir: Kullu hoteliers

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, October 11

Kullu-Manali hoteliers have threatened to stage a protest against the state government if their demands were not met. They held a general house meeting in Manali town on Thursday to discuss the issue.

The hoteliers are demanding regularization of unauthorized structures or amendment to the TCP (Town and Country Planning) Act so that they get some relief. The hoteliers are facing difficulty ever since Himachal High Court and the National Green Tribunal took a tough stance against unauthorized structures.

The previous government had brought retention policy giving one-time settlement for the illegal structures in the state but due to intervention of the state High Court it could not be implemented.

Apart from this, they are demanding speedy repair of the road on both right and left bank of the Beas between Kullu and Manali for smooth flow of traffic.

Anup Thakur, president, Hoteliers Association Kullu-Manali, said that the state government was not serious in resolving the issues of hoteliers, which they were facing since long. Due to apathy of government, tourism industry of Kullu-Manali was suffering.

“We met and requested the chief minster four times and the forest minister six times regarding regularisation of the structures declared unauthorised by various government agencies. All that we got was sympathetic assurances that relief would be provided. But no concrete solution has come up so far.”

“The government has neither appealed against the orders of the High Court regarding retention policy nor considered relief by amending TCP (Town and Country Planning) Act. The general house has resolved to begin an agitation if we do not get positive response from state government within 15 days”, he remarked.

“Apart from this, the recent rains had disrupted the road communication badly. Both left and right banks road from Kullu to Manali have been badly damaged. The repair work is in progress, but the pace is very slow, especially the restoration work at Kalath and the second bridge at Manali. Only a few labourers are working at the bridge site Manali” he added.

He said that if this bridge is not put back in service immediately, the other bridge may give way due to overloading as the condition of this bridge is also bad.

The National Highways Authority of India, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Manali, Deputy Commissioner Kullu and Forest Minister Govind Thakur have been requested to look into it on priority and get the repair work done a on war footing.