MANALI: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur has refused to provide any help to hoteliers in regularization of unauthorized structures. The chief minister made the announcement at a lunch with hoteliers, after flagging of the heli-taxi service here on ThursdayAt the lunch, the hoteliers requested him to frame a policy to regularize unauthorized constructions and keep villages out of purview of the town and country planning (TCP) department. They said even the villagers were having trouble in building structures according to TCP guidelines as they have limited land.However, Thakur told them clearly that he could not help anybody beyond the law. He said those who had built structures after the TCP regulations came into force were responsible for their mistake. “We will try to solve the problem, but not beyond the law. Our priority will be to help owners of such buildings which were built before bringing that area under jurisdiction of TCP but are termed as unauthorized. Those buildings which were built after TCP Act was enforced in that area would be considered later. We know that people in remote villages are facing problems with TCP. Such villages are being kept out of the purview of TCP,” he said.Manali Hoteliers’ Association president Anup Ram Thakur said many local hoteliers have been served multiple notices from various departments as they do not fulfill TCP norms. “We are requesting the government to make a policy for regularization of such buildings which have already been built. Also, our villages which have limited land and resources should be kept out of the purview of the TCP,” he said.The local panchayats near Manali have also started to oppose the TCP. “On Friday, people of Karjan panchayat of Manali unanimously passed the resolution that if TCP Act is imposed, they will oppose it,” panchayat pradhan Balbir Chand Rana said.In the first stage of action, a large number of structures in Kullu and Solan districts which were built on government land were demolished. In Manali, TCP, electricity board, and pollution board have served notices on a large number of hoteliers for various discrepancies and even disconnected the services.

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