HP Govt reiterates before HC: Need possession of 5-star resort Wildflower hall
Shimla, Dec 15
The hearing on the litigation over one of the prime properties in Shimla, Hotel Wildflower hall, currently in the Himachal Pradesh High Court has now been defer for December 29. In the proceedings on Friday, the Himachal Government once again emphatically reiterated its need for possession of the five-star resort Wild Flower Hall, currently operated by East India Hotel Limited.
The single judge bench of Justice Satyan Vaidya adjourned the hearing until December 29 at the request of the respondent, EIH Ltd. The state government had recently filed the execution petition before the High Court after winning a years-old legal battle and arbitration awards in its favor. The state government submitted the warrant of possession before the high court on Friday, stating that it requires the five-star hotel Wildflower Hall and its attached property back from the hospitality company.
On Friday, the execution petition was scheduled to be argued, but the lawyer of the Oberoi Group appealed for an adjournment. The next hearing in this case will now take place on December 29, 2023.
Additional Advocate General IN Mehta told media persons after the hearing that, in response to the court’s query regarding the government’s stance on the property, the state clarified that the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) warranted possession of the property, and an application had already been submitted to the court. The counsel for the Oberoi Group filed a demand draft through an application, and arguments on this matter will be scheduled for the next date.
It is noteworthy that the High Court had issued a stay against the state’s takeover proceeding order to reclaim possession of the five-star Wild Flower Hotel.
Also read:Â https://himachalscape.com/hp-govt-takes-possession-of-hotel-wildflower-hall-from-oberoi-group/
As reported earlier, in a futile attempt, the state of Himachal Pradesh tried to take possession of the Wild Flower Hotel and attached property on November 18. However, within hours, the hospitality group managed to obtain a stay and later filed a review petition.
The Oberoi Group operates a five-star hotel in Chharabra, about 13 kilometers away from Shimla. Himachal CM Sukhwinder Sukhu stated that this case has been ongoing for 22 years and emphasized that the state has not received a single penny for the 126 bighas of land given on lease.
Also read:Â https://himachalscape.com/hp-govt-to-not-extend-lease-of-hotel-wildflower-hall-to-oberoi-group-mins/
There was an agreement between the government and the Oberoi Group, but revenue-equity has not been given to the Himachal government for the last 25-30 years. The government suffered a loss of crores due to this. Sukhu mentioned that about Rs 120 crore was supposed to be given to Himachal by the Oberoi Group, but it was not received.
The former residence of Lord Kitchener, the former Commander of the British Army, Wild Flower Hall is currently a 5-star resort that offers the ambiance of a grand stately home. In 1909, after Lord Kitchener returned to England, Wild Flower Hall was sold to Robert Hotz and his wife. In 1925, after demolishing the old house, Hotz built a fine three-story hotel. After independence, the hotel was taken over by the Government of India and given to the Himachal Government to run an Agricultural University. Later, it was taken over by Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) in 1973, which operated until 1993. It was due to an electrical short circuit that a fire reduced the wooden hotel to ashes on April 5, 1993.
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