Mysuru hotel owner threatens to take legal action for non-clearance of Rs 80 lakh bill for PM’s stay
Mysuru: The owner of the hotel where Prime Minister Narendra Modi stayed during his visit to the city to inaugurate the 50th anniversary celebrations of ‘Project Tiger’ in April 2023 has alleged that bills amounting to Rs 80.6 lakh are yet to be cleared and has warned of approaching concerned authorities to take legal action in the matter.
The Karnataka Forest Department, which was directed to hold a three-day event in April 2023 at an expenditure of Rs 3 crore, was assured that it would receive 100 per cent assistance from the Centre. The program was held as per the directions of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF), with the expenditure hiking to Rs 6.33 crore, reports The Hindu.
The initial estimated amount of Rs 3 crore for the event was released by the Central government, but the bill for the extra Rs 3.33 crore is pending for clearance in spite of the Forest Department bringing it to the notice of the MoEF.
Also, the correspondence between the NTCA and the MoEF shows that the event cost increased from the original Rs 3 crore due to the addition of activities during the event, as directed by the NTCA and as per the requirements of the PM’s program. The event management company, as a result, submitted a revised quotation that was circulated among all officials during a video conference.
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) of Karnataka wrote to Deputy Inspector-General of the NTCA in New Delhi on September 29, 2023 reminding him of the dues. The NTCA, however, replied on February 12, 2024 that the state government would have to clear the expenses for the stay of the PM’s entourage at Hotel Radisson Blu Plaza in Mysuru during the event.
A second letter was written by the Principal Chief Conservator on March 22, 2024, again reminding the NTCA of the amount to be cleared, including the Rs 80.6-lakh bill for the PM’s stay at Hotel Radisson Blu Plaza. The NTCA has not replied to the Karnataka officer so far.
The General Manager (Finance) of Hotel Radisson Blu Plaza has also reportedly written to the Karnataka Deputy Conservator of Forests Basavaraju on May 21, 2024, stating that the hotel bill was pending to be cleared although more than 12 months had passed since the hotel services were used and the authorities were sent repeated reminders asking for clearance of the bill. The general manager has also informed that an interest of 18 per cent would be applicable to the outstanding amount due to the delayed payment, and demanding the additional sum of Rs 12.09 lakh also be paid as late payment fee.
The hotel management has set a deadline of June 1, 2024 for clearance of the pending amount and also threatened that legal action would be taken if the amount was not settled.
Deputy Conservator of Forests Basavaraju, however, clarified that the State government had refused to clear the bill as per the Central government’s directives as the event was held by the Central government.
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SC says no to plea against selection of Delhi Waqf Board administrator
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday refused to examine a plea against the appointment of Delhi government’s Principal Secretary (Home) Ashwani Kumar as the Delhi Waqf Board administrator on January 10.
A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Rajesh Bindal asked the petitioner to move the Delhi High Court.
The top court was hearing a plea filed by one Zameer Ahmad Jumlana seeking directions to restrain and prohibit Kumar from discharging functions as the administrator of the Delhi Waqf Board and to vacate the office with immediate effect.
Lieutenant Governor (LG) V K Saxena, who approved Kumar's appointment, also okayed the appointment of IAS officer Azimul Haque as Delhi Waqf Board's CEO on January 3.
The petition alleged the term of the Delhi State Waqf Board expired on August 26, 2023, and since then no board was constituted.
The plea contended in the absence of the board, its powers were taken over by the LG by appointing Kumar purportedly using the powers under Section 99 of the Waqf Act, 1995.
"When the tenure of the board has lapsed on August 26, 2023, there is no question of exercise of any power of the state government under Section 99 of the Waqf Act 1995 to take over the board. Thus, the respondent number 1 is an usurper of the power of the Delhi State Waqf Board,” it said.
According to the petition, Kumar was not eligible under the Waqf Act of 1995 and took advantage of the fact that the Delhi Waqf Board was in an indefinite abeyance due to the negligence of the respondents.
On May 28, the Delhi High Court dismissed a similar plea filed by one Yasmin Ali and imposed Rs 10,000 costs.
The high court said the plea was publicity-oriented and an abuse of the process of law as it did not give any valid reasons for quashing the appointment of the city government officer as the administrator of the board.
