Final decision has been taken by Sadar Municipal Committee Ambala Cantt to seal as many as 14 hotels, many of these facing Delhi-Amritsar National Highway, situated in Lalkurti Bazar area near International Bus Terminal and railway station Ambala Cantt. According to information, large number of visitors in twin city Ambala situated at the junction of several states Punjab, Himachal, Jammu-Kashmir and U.P usually stay in the town during night here. These hotels are functioning illegally since a long time without obtaining approval from the municipal committee as well as other administrative departments in-spite of repeated notices and now final decision has been taken to seal these premises with immediate effect. Ravinder Singh Executive Officer Sadar municipal committee told that a final notice was served to such illegal hotels to produce all approvals required for running a hotel within 30 days to avoid action to demolish or seal the premises but only five hotels submitted necessary documents and no action has been taken by the remaining hotels.
Hotels submitted required documents as regard approval of lay out and site plan of building by municipal committee, permission to run hotel by the administration, fire safety certificate by the Fire Department, receipts of commercial tax and trade license from municipal committee were submitted only by five hotels: Hotel Green, Hotel Ishant, Hotel Love Vatika, Hotel Neelkanth and Savoy Hotel. Now final decision has taken by the administration to seal all 24 illegally running hotels with immediate effect. According to information, request has been made to SP Ambala to provide necessary police force enabling to take action against illegal hotels as per Section 208Aof Rule 1973 seal all illegal hotels in order to avoid disturbance and maintain law and order by the owners of such hotels While taking action against them.
Information reveals that controversy over functio0ning of such a large number of illegal hotels in a thickly populated residential area without seeking permissio0n from government authorities has been going on since a long time when residents of area made complaint s many times to district authorities as well as police as regard antisocial activities as well as immoral activities going on in the area due to such a large number of hotels running in the area when it has become difficult for females residing in the area to come out of their house during late evening and night hours. According to information, police conducted raids in these hotel several times and found either suspicious couples staying in these hotels involved in immoral acts.
Information further reveals that during year 2017 SDM Ambala on getting large number of complaints from residents of Lalkurti area had issued orders to close down all illegal hotels functioning in thickly populated residential area but surprisingly the file as regard this case remained hanging from one table to another without any action for a long time. Then Assistant Police Commissioner Ambala Neetika Gehlot had conducted investigation as regard such illegal hotels and given report that only 34 hotels and restaurants are approved by the municipal committee in the town and rest of the hotels are not following prescribed rules and are completely illegal but no action was taken against the owners of such illegal hotels. Information further reveals, Municipal Corporation Ambala too going to take action against large number of illegal hotels and restaurants in Ambala City.
