End of lease: Haandi restaurant sealed

Gurdeep Singh Mann

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 23

The Haandi restaurant, which was being run in a building that belongs to the Red Cross on the Goniana road, was sealed by the district administration today.

While the authorities claim to have sealed the restaurant after completion of their lease period of 10 years, its owner resentfully said he was not given time to take the necessary steps.

While Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori didn’t pick up his phone, Naib Tehsildar Lakhwinder Gill said the restaurant didn’t react in time after getting a notice from the office of the Deputy Commissioner.

He said since the land of the Red Cross was given on lease at an economical price a decade ago, now, it was vacated by the district administration.

Gill added that the lease period got over around eight months ago but its owner didn’t give reply to the notice.

Moreover, the name of the place has also been changed by its owner from Red Cross White House to Haandi, in violation of the lease agreement, he said.

Hotel owner Pawan Kumar Garg alleged that officials of the district administration and police didn’t even allow its employees to come out of the hotel before sealing it.

“Out of 100 employees, around 30-40 are still inside. The officials sealed the building and locked the gate in a hurry,” Garg said.

He added that despite paying money in advance, the authorities reacted in haste and got the land vacated.