Illegal extension of Corner Hotel to be demolished soon

Tribune News Service
Patiala, November 15

The Municipal Corporation (MC) will soon begin the process of the demolition of the extended part of prominent Corner Hotel, which has been termed illegal in its probe reports. 

Officials in the corporation today said a notice regarding the cancellation of the building plan has been sent to the owners. They said now that the notice for cancellation had been sent, they would soon begin process of demolition of the illegal building.

This is after The Tribune reported about the matter and delay in taking action by the Municipal Corporation (MC) in June this year. Later, the MC had sent a number of notices to the proprietors and offered them chances to clear their stand on the matter.

Officials said the owners of the hotel would be directed to demolish the extended part of their building on their own. “In case they did not demolish it as per directions, we will ourselves take action and demolish the building,” said an official.

The MC had in May this year sent a notice to the hotel owners demanding clarifications for the construction. The owners were also found to have concealed provisions mentioned in a former registration done for the site. They had not constructed a stilt parking as specified in a construction plan passed by the MC and had also not procured no-objection-certificate from the Public Works Department and the Department of Forests for new construction on the site. 

Another rule flouted by them includes construction of the building within 60+5 meters range of the railway over-bridge which is a no-construction-zone.

MC officials who found irregularity while reporting on part of its employees said they would also be sent notices.

An insider said the corporation could send a notice for demolition of the building as and after the notice regarding cancellation of the building plan was received by the owners. They informed that the MC could itself act to remove the illegal structure within 72 hours of giving the demolition orders. An order under Section 269 (Order of demolition and stoppage of buildings and works) would be sent to them.

Ankur Mahendru, MC Joint Commissioner, today said, “The letter for cancellation has been signed and sent to the owner. We will give them time to act on their own else the process for demolition by the corporation officials will be followed.”