Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 8: The State High Court today pulled up the Government for allowing hotels in Srinagar and Pahalgam areas which have no permission from the authorities to operate.
A Division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice M M Kumar and Justice Muzzafar Hussain Attar asked the Advocate General of the State as to how these hotels have been permitted to operate without consent in place and why no action has been taken against them as per law.?
The Bench passed these strictures after examining the compliance report filed by the Government on hotels operating in Pahalgam and Srinagar which mentioned that 25 out of 55 hotels are operating without any consent from Pollution Control Board.
The report showed that in Category -A hotels, 122 out of 242 hotels are operating without permission, and in Category -D, 153 out of 490 hotels have no consent.
The counsel for petitioner Ajaz Chesti argued that 55 hotels are without septic tanks and soakage pits, but no action has been taken by the government against such hotels.
“We have asked the AG as to how these hotels are permitted to operate without consent in place and why no action has been taken against them as per law,” the court observed.
The court pulled up the AG saying “when you give any statement, we take it as gospel truth. But your statements are always belied by records.”
The court directed the Government that it is the duty of PCB officers and other Government agencies to implement laws.
The bench directed the AG to file status report and policy with regard to common STP’s within two days.
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