AMRITSAR – The state government is all set to finalise the draft of regularising at least 125 illegal hotels, guest houses and inns, including the one owned by the SGPC, around the Golden Temple complex.
Under the proposed “one-time settlement policy”, around125 units, though never complying the Municipal Building Bylaws, 1997, or the revised building bylaws in 2010 due to the old topography of the 400-year-old holy city were proposed to put under the ambit of compoundable offence. These units may be legalised by charging compoundable penalty from the owners.
The operation of these hospitality units in and around Golden Temple Galliara was challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2010 by Punjab Human Rights activist Sarbjit Singh Verka. Though the case is still pending, the government is prepared to endorse their functioning.
The next date of hearing in the High Court is March 2. Sources said after several unsuccessful attempts to seal such units in the wake of aggressive response of affected hoteliers, the government was going to endorse this policy to resolve the issue amicably.
In the backdrop, an official letter of the Local Bodies Department had categorically stated that the proposal to regularise 125 hotels, guest houses and inns on “as is where is basis”, has been passed in the cabinet meeting held on November 26, 2014, and this would be followed by the process of framing a policy.
Confirming the development, BJP’s National Secretary Tarun Chugh said a meeting between the Deputy CM, hoteliers’ delegation and officials was held recently at Chandigarh. “In fact, I took the initiative to fix this meeting. The government intends to find an amicable solution. That’s why a policy was framed to regularise the identified units,” he said.
