Himachal Pradesh HC orders shutdown of 44 hotels in Kullu to check drug menace

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Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Kullu district to shut down 44 hotels which are illegally operating in Kasol -- a village in the hill state that has become infamous for drug trade.

The court also directed him to act as the nodal officer and coordinate with other departments concerned to ensure that all encroachments are removed besides electricity and water supply to such hotels is disconnected immediately.

In its order issued yesterday, the high court made clear that no establishment at Kasol should be allowed to operate except those working in accordance with the law.

A Division Bench comprising acting chief justice Sanjay Karol and justice Sandeep Sharma passed these orders on a petition taken up suo motu by the court as a public interest litigation (PIL) on the issue of drug menace in the state.

The court passed these directions after perusing a report filed by a Joint Inspection Committee which highlighted that 44 of the 60 hotels in Kasol neither have permission from the Tourism Department nor do they have any consent to operate in terms of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

The report also stated that some of these establishments had raised constructions on encroached forests.

Expressing concern about the drug menace in the state, the court had directed the Superintendent of Police, Kullu as well as the Zonal Director, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Chandigarh, on October 25 to constitute the Joint Task Force to raid all restaurants, hotels and dhabas (roadside eateries) in and around Kasol and Malana to stop illegal activities.

The court in its order yesterday directed the Director General of Police of Himachal Pradesh and the Zonal Director of the NCB, Chandigarh, to continue with such operations and file a fresh status report within four weeks.

They were also directed to visit Malana village and ensure complete eradication of contraband and take action against people indulging in illegal trade of contrabands.