Over 60 illegal banquet halls operating in Gurugram, claims PIL

The functioning of over 60 banquet and marriage halls in Gurugram, allegedly without licences, sanctioned building plans, change-of-land-use permissions, or mandatory fire safety NOCs, today came under judicial scanner, with the filing of a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Among other things, the court was told that the halls were operating despite findings by the Haryana Lokayukta and sealing directions by the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG).

In his petition before the Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and judge Sanjiv Berry, RTI and human rights activist Harinder Dhingra alleged that the respondents failed to discharge their statutory obligations under the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act and Haryana Fire and Emergency Services Act.

Dhingra submitted that the MC Commissioner furnished information in response to an RTI query vide letter dated November 10, 2014, admitting that “63 unauthorised banquet halls, out of which 34 were located within the 900-metre restricted belt around the Ammunition Depot, Gurugram, are operating without licence within limits of MCG”.

Acting on his complaint, Dhingra said the Haryana Lokayukta vide order dated July 8, 2021, upheld his allegations and “recorded clear findings of dereliction of duty on the part of respondent officials in permitting illegal banquet halls to function without licences and fire NOCs”.

Following the Lokayukta’s order, the MCG Commissioner on June 7, 2022, directed his Joint Commissioners to seal all illegal banquet halls. A reminder was issued on August 25, 2022. However, the petitioner asserted, not a single banquet hall had been sealed to date.

“Despite the passage of more than four years since the Lokayukta’s final order in July 2021 and repeated directions by the Commissioner, not a single banquet hall has been sealed."

The petitioner also alleged that the deliberate inaction led to a revenue loss of over Rs 74 crore in regularisation fees and property tax, besides posing an imminent threat to thousands of lives. “Repeated RTIs and legal notices of the petitioner have been stonewalled, evidencing collusion, corruption, and mala fide intent. Judicial intervention is the only remedy to uphold the rule of law and protect public safety,” he added.