Hoteliers within Dal Lake are in a dilemma, whether to shut or to be rehabilitated
By: Muzamil Bhat CK
Srinagar
There are lot of hotels within the water body of Dal Lake and most of them are not being allowed to do any necessary corrections or renovations by LAWDA under the pretext that they are illegal and should be sealed.
These hoteliers are living in a dilemma as they have been running these hotels within the water body from decades with LAWDA not allowing them to go for renovation.
Recently these hoteliers have asked the government that either their hotels should be closed within the Dal Lake and they should be given compensation or should be rehabilitated.
The government is maintaining the silence over the issue and amid the tourist season most of these old hotels need renovation and for the tourists they have to go for some immediate face lifts.
With LAWDA not allowing them to go for it, they have told media that the government should take the final call of what is the final decision of them for them.
In absence of any decision these hoteliers are not able to conduct their normal business with LAWDA officials not allowing them to go for any renovations.
Meanwhile agencies have reported about their plight as follows.
Hoteliers operating from inside world famous Dal Lake here in Kashmir capital Srinagar Monday appealed authorities to allow them to renovate their hotels or rehabilitate them at a desired location.
While addressing a press conference at Dal Lake, Hotelier Mir Hanirf said there are 13 hotels inside the Dal Lake that are registered with Department of Tourism and J&K Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA). He said most of these hotels are in dilapidated condition as authorities are restricting them from any renovation.
“Either allow us to renovate our hotels or rehabilitate us,” Mir as per KNT said.
He said Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) is in possession of vast land at Gupt Ganga in Shalimar. “If you don’t allow us to renovate our hotels, at least rehabilitate us at Gupt Ganga. We are ready to vacate from the Dal Lake as we are suffering immensely,” he said and sought intervention of Lieutenant Governor and Chief Secretary.
Mir Hanif said that even Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi had assured us in 2014 that hoteliers in Dal Lake will be given a breather and will either be rehabilitated or allowed to renovate the hotels. “We hope that court will consider the applications seeking repairs, renovations of hotels inside the Dal Lake as we believe that the restraint order is being misrepresented by the authorities from time to time,” he said.
With agencies inputs
