After Elante and Chandigarh Club, now the Chandigarh Estate Office has issued a show-cause notice to Hotel Taj, Sector 17, Chandigarh.
The notice stated, “Whereas you are the allottee/lessee/transferee/occupiers of Hotel Taj, Sector-17-A, Chandigarh and conditions set out in the Allotment letter/Lease Deed/deed of conveyance. The above said site was allotted/leased out/transferred in your favour under the Chandigarh Lease Hold of Site and Building rules 1973/Chandigarh Sale of site and Building Rules 1960, but now these rules have been repealed by the Chandigarh Administration and now the site allotted/leased out/transferred to you shall be governed by the Chandigarh Estate Rules 2007 as amended from time to time.”
This notice has been served under the Chandigarh Estate Rules 2007 as amended from time to time.
The notice mentioned, “Whereas by virtue of the aforesaid allotment/lease deed/deed of conveyance you are required to abide by the terms & conditions of allotment and rules framed under the Capital of Punjab (Development & Regulation) act 1952 as amended from time to time. Whereas prime facie, you have altered the building without prior permission of the Chief Administrator.”
It mentioned that in the basement floor, the planning of fire alarm main panel room has been changed against the sanctioned plan.
Also, as per violations, corridor behind fire lift has been converted into office against the sanctioned plan and planning of staircase has been changed adjacent to fire lift against the sanctioned plan.
Also, parking space has been converted into store by GI sheets against the sanctioned plan and planning of training room has been changed against the sanctioned plan.
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It mentioned that planning of recreation room has been changed against the sanctioned plan. Also, planning of driver’s rest room has been changed against the sanctioned plan.
Among other violations, the wing area has been converted into landscape at right hand site of reception’s porch area against the sanctioned plan and planning of landscape area has been changed on both sides of main gate entry against the sanctioned plan.
The colour shade has been changed at front elevation against the sanctioned plan (from red sand stone shade to light coffee shade), the notice said.
“Now therefore the undersigned by virtue of the power conferred upon under Rule 10 of the Estate Rules, 2007 amended from time to time the undersigned hereby direct the allottees/lesess/transferees and the occupier of the site to remove the building violations within the period of essee(s)/transferee(s)/allottee(s) and the occupiers(s) shall also be liable to pay charges @ Rs. 6 per day per Sft of area under violation, which shall be paid jointly and severally by the transferee/lessee/allottee and the occupier of the site or building for every month or part thereof the building violation occurs In case of non-payment of such charges, the same shall be recovered as arrears of land revenue,” the notice mentioned.
The notice also mentioned that in case of the failure to remove the building violations from the site as per sanctioned plan within the aforesaid period of two months, it will be presumed that “you are not inclined to remove the building violations and the proceedings of resumption/cancellation/sealing/removal shall be initiated against you under Rules 14 of the Chandigarh Estate Rules, 2007 as amended from time to time read with Section 8A of the Capital of Punjab (Development & Regulation) Act, 1952.”
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The show cause has been issued to reply within a period of 15 days from the date of issuance of notice as to why the proceeding under Rules 10 and Rules 14 of Chandigarh Estate Rules, 2007 as amended from time to time read with Section -A of the Capital of Punjab (Development & Regulation) Act, 1952 be not contemplated and in case of your failure to appear in person on fixed date and time, the proceeding will be taken out ex-parte.
Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory.
Professional Background
Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance.
Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows.
Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends:
1. Investigative & Financial Reporting
"Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff.
"Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control.
"Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT.
2. Governance & Constitutional Status
"What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance.
"MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure.
"No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term.
3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment
"Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts.
"UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network.
"Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump.
4. Lifestyle & Local Trends
"Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year.
"After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges.
Signature Beat
Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse.
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