The institute of Technology Management

By ABHINANDAN MISHRA | New Delhi | 6 May, 2017 – Sunday Guardian
Manohar Parrikar had ordered a probe, but with a change of guard in defence ministry, things have stalled.

Private resorts and hotels in Landour cantonment, Mussoorie, continue to function even though former defence minister Manohar Parrikar had ordered a probe, nearly nine months ago, to find out how they were allowed to come up in the high security sensitive zone.

Mussoorie based officials accused that the defence ministry was trying to “cover up” the matter to save the skin of “influential people” involved in the business.

The matter had first come to light in July last year when the estate officer of Institute of Technology Management (ITM), which is a Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) laboratory, wrote to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and then to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), seeking inquiry into how high-end resorts and hotels were functioning in the cantonment area when no such permission was given by the government departments concerned.

Following the uproar, Parrikar had ordered a probe. But the “probe” seems to have “died down” with a change of guard in the ministry.

“Nothing has happened in that matter. Only initially, once, a senior official had come in the last week of July to look into the matter. The resorts and hotels, without having valid permission to run, continue to function without any hindrance despite the fact that they are situated in a cantonment area. Many foreign nationals are running these resorts, so you can understand how much of a security threat is involved. It is very shameful that the MoD has chosen to ignore this issue and has taken it so casually,” a senior official associated with the DRDO said.

As per a 12 May 2016 letter, which has been accessed by this newspaper, the Landour Cantonment Board had not given any licenses to any persons or firms to run guest houses in the cantonment area.

According to officials, neither the CBI, nor the CVC nor the MoD had so far even interacted with the public servants who are aware of how the resorts and hotels were illegally constructed.

“I do not know what kind of probe they are doing. Even if they are not serious about the probe and just want to do a formality, they should have at least called those people who are aware of the matter and spoken to them before giving a clean chit to the owners of those hotels and resorts which are running illegally. These resorts could not have come-up without the complicity of hoteliers and MoD officials and hence no one wants to take the probe further,” another senior official of DRDO stated.

The aforementioned comment was posted by Amita from Chennai on the TOI article “business ally’s resort in Mussoorie: Officials” 19^th July 2016

By seeing these views, the DRDO team gets charged to fight against corruption because they feel confident that a Defence Minister like Sh. Parrikar is there to stop all corrupt influences. Maybe some time is taken and some delays occur, but ultimately this corrupt gang of DRDO will soon get a big hit for their wrong doings.

Last few days Mr. Narang continue visiting ITM with a mobile and discussed the issue with ITM officials and showed his clarifications of property and asked whether ITM had complained officially or not. If they had not, then he asked for a letter mentioning some favors.

During the time of earlier Director, Mr. Narang visited ITM with a briefcase but returned without the briefcase and coincidentally the then Director and number two both were on long leave for few days and in between the construction was done in full swing.

Here is a copy of the letter sent to CVC regarding the property developed in the cantonment area adjacent to ITM, DRDO.

To Date: 06.07.2016

The Chief Vigilance Commissioner,

Satarkata Bhawan,

New Delhi

Sub: Mushrooming illegal Hotels and Guest houses in Landour Cantt. Mussoorie

Honourable Chief Vigilance Commissioner,

I am writing this letter to complain about illegal high investment commercial activities going on in Landour Cantonment probably in collusion with officials, and members of cantonment board.

If Mussoorie is called “Queen of Hills” then Lanodur Cantt. Area can be called as “Crown of the Queen”. You may be aware that the green cover of these beautiful hills is being destroyed by indiscriminate urbanization, and commercial activity turning them into concrete jungles. Unfortunately, where Cantonment areas are supposed to be an example of clean and green with strict following of law and order, and integrity but we got an example of such cantonment in Landour which seems to be working other way and helping cronies occupy prime locations and indulging in indiscriminate, illegal commercial activities. The institute of Technology Management, DRDO is located in the Landour Cantt. And is the major stakeholder of the cantonment area. As Scientist of DRDO, and Officer In charge of Works (Estate) of Institute of Technology Management, I tried to do my best in my official capacity to highlight these activities in the vicinity of institute with Cantonment board authorities including GOC of Uttarakhand Subarea on grounds of destruction of green cover of the hill, encroachment of ITM roads, and high density moment of foreign tourist visiting these illegal hotels and guest houses posing severe inconvenience and security threat to DRDO lab but I found things are much murkier than what I imagined. There is a sense of systematic and deep rooted corruption in Cantonment to allow multi billion investments by big players in hospitality industry with covert protection for flourishing their business.

Since I felt I have severe limitation to tackle at an official capacity, I should write to you at personal level to deal with the situation with suitable action. There are many high end hotels and guest houses running here illegally such as Rokeby Manor, Bothwell Bank, Tabour Cottage, Pine Tree Lodge, Lanodur Bakery (All owned by Mars Hospitality Group of Mr. Sanajay Narang), La Villa Batheny, Ivy Bank, Domas Inn, Devdar Woods, Prospect Point. When ITM wrote to CEO cantonment about how you give these guest houses permission without any parking space due to which ITM roads are being blocked! In reply he said, we gave no permission to any such guesthouses to run. This shocking reply itself shows how such high end guest houses can run without covert support of Cantonment officials and members. Majority of these guesthouses are owned by Mr. Sanajay Narang, surprisingly all these within a span of 4-5 years. Mr. Sanajay Narang also constructed a big mansion (Dahlia Bank) behind ITM violating Works of Defence ACT. ITM in a court case with him with this regard (He filed a writ petition after losing the same case in Supreme court of India) in this case too Cantt. took good sweet time to comply with orders of SC so that he gets good time to file a writ petition. These high end hotels are made with investment worth 100s of crores (Especially hotels of Mr Narang) and cater to foreign tourists, high end guests including ministers, VIPS and judges. Its impossible to run 12 hotels without permission in a cantonment area, if integrity and sanctity of the Cantonment is intact. If Cantt. Not given any such permission than they are not even charging these properties to the tune of amount chargeable from commercial properties! Moreover, Cantonment board them self indulging in such activities, such as Building of Ivy Cafe, where they have initially taken sanction for double story car parking but the lower level space was constructed in such a way so that it becomes impossible for parking cars. This basement was later rented out for a cafe. In the same way, for another property the board has taken initial sanction for Cantt. Accommodation and guest house, but leased out to a private party to run guesthouse for civil tourist. The guy who has taken lease of this property had expanded to a big cafe but lack no space for a vehicle parking. This property made serious congestion of key road leading to ITM. It sounds fishy about how sanction for constructing something else has been changed to constructing a building for entirely for different purpose.

These all activities in the Landour Cantt ruining sanctity and credibility of a cantonment and promoting rampant corruption and destroying green belt of the Crown of the Queen of the Hills (Mussoorie). I humbly request you to kindly order an enquiry on how these illegal hotels are running, who are behind it, involvement of Cantonment officials and presidents since last 6-7 years and save this serene hill from thugs and thieves. There is a serious fraud and corruption happening here, I wonder it may prove bigger than “Adarsh Housing Scam”.

Thank you

Landour Cantt. Mussoorie

Enclosures:

Letters related to communication with Landour Cantt.

Screenshots of web pages of these guesthouses

Corruption In DRDO

Tag Archives: The institute of Technology Management

High-end resorts, hotels thriving in Landour cantonment area

Totally endorse the stand taken by Parrikar. A minister should listen to everyone but must act in accordance with constitution and for the larger good – Amita, Chennai

Appeal to clean DRDO of corrupt and anti-national officials