Chandigarh: Stop 'n' Stare razed, clueless CITCO puts lessee on notice

Sandeep Rana

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Chandigarh, August 25

In a surprise move, Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation’s venture Stop ’n’ Stare, a popular hangout in Leisure Valley, Sector 10, has been razed to the ground by the contractor to whom the eatery was leased out recently. The tourism corporation has served a show-cause notice on the agency.

CITCO officials said the structure had been demolished without their knowledge by the contractor running the operations as he apparently wanted to “renovate” the place. Interestingly, the Sector 17-based CITCO office is located barely a kilometre from the site.

According to information, the outlet was leased out to Verma Transport Company for seven years to run the operations. But, it went ahead and demolished the structure in the heritage area without taking CITCO into loop. Reacting to the unauthorised demolition, UT Adviser Dharam Pal said: “It is simply not allowed. We will take appropriate action.” CITCO’s company secretary Maninder Kanwar said: “It has been razed by the party (the contractor). We have served him a show-cause notice. A committee has been constituted to decide the matter further.” Akshay Verma, the lessee, said the matter regarding the demolition was being looked into by CITCO. “Whatever they decide, we will act accordingly,” he said. Stop ’n’ Stare was the brainchild of then Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Lt Gen JFR Jacob and was inaugurated during his tenure in 2001.

A CITCO employee said: “It is surprising officials of the corporation did not know about it? Due to some vested interests, the eatery had been shown as having been running into losses. They want to run it as a private venture.”

CITCO had run the outlet for a long time before it handed over the operations to a private agency. The outlet faced its biggest crisis during the two Covid waves. It faced major losses, following which it got shut down. It was recently given to a new agency.

“It was inaugurated by Jacob on a no profit, no loss basis with a focus on students and visitors at museums in Sector 10. It was never meant for profit. It should have been run by the CITCO only,” said Kashmir Chand, chairman, CITCO Progressive Workers’ Union.

Rajnish Wattas, former principal of the Chandigarh College of Architecture, said: “How could they let this happen when the contractor didn’t have ownership rights? It is a vital heritage area with museums and art college around. Stringent norms are in place under the heritage law. Leisure Valley is a green area so no new structure can be raised like that.”

Meanwhile, youngsters were seen returning disappointed from the site. “It used to be such a lively place. It was our favourite hangout. It’s unfortunate the structure does not exist anymore. It should have been left the way it was,” said a student.

Youngsters from colleges in Sector 10 and 11, Panjab University, museums and other places often frequent this place, perched in the grove of trees with architectural structures around it.

Leisure Valley eatery Lt Gen Jacob’s brainchild

• Inaugurated in 2001, Stop ’n’ Stare was the brainchild of then Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Lt Gen JFR Jacob
• CITCO ran the Sector 10 eatery for a long time before handing over operations to a private agency before Covid pandemic
• During Covid, it ran into losses and was shut down. It was recently leased out to Verma Transport Company for seven years

Panel to decide

We have served show-cause notice. A panel will decide matter. Maninder Kanwar, CITCO’s company secretary

Will take action

It is simply not allowed. We will take appropriate action. Dharam Pal, UT Adviser

It’s heritage area

How could it happen? It is heritage area with museums & art college around. Rajnish Wattas, ex-principal, Chandigarh College of Architecture