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Govt squeezes Nehru Park restaurant to accommodate 'influential' bookseller 4/12/2016 10:58:21 PM Early Times Report Srinagar, Apr 12: The Government-owned restaurant at the Nehru Park island in the famed Dal lake here has been reduced to half only to accommodate a "blue-eyed" bookseller who is all set to open his sales outlet there. Highly placed sources alleged that a political leader who is also MLC pressurized the Tourism officials to get leased out, half of the space of the restaurant to the bookseller so that he could do his business there. The concerned are understood to have allotted the space to the bookseller at throw away prices. "But prior to allotment of the space, the Government spent lakhs on the renovation of the space," the official sources said. They said the senior politician wielding influence in the government got the deal inked in brazen violation of the norms and needs of the area. "The bookseller will merely paying Rs two lakh for the space whereas such space can fetch much more," sources said. Officials said there was no fun in allotting the space meant for restaurant at a picnic spot to bookseller. "People come to such places for recreation, which is mostly about food or accommodation. The best would have been if this space was converted into hotel rooms, it would fetch millions to the government on monthly basis," said a government official pleading anonymity. He said "at a time when the houseboat rooms in the neighborhood of the site, charge around Rs 10 to 20 thousand for a room per day, how come space given to bookseller for peanuts." Named after the first Prime Minister, this restaurant on the first floor of the heritage building has been a major attraction for tourists and locals alike. For decades, the spot has been among the busiest places in the tourist hub on the boulevard. But the "deal" to allot the space to the bookseller has not gone well with the people into the tourism industry. "This is gross misuse of heritage space, why will anyone come here to buy books?" asked a delegation of tourism players. Sources said the bookseller wants the space for publicity. "Basically he had a simple motive that why not to utilize the prize space when you are getting it renovated, and almost free of cost," the sources said. An officer in know of the matter however downplayed the matter. "It has been a transparent lease out, there's nothing wrong in the deal," the official said. Meanwhile the business players appealed Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Secretary Tourism Farooq Ahmed Shah to personally look into the matter.   Share This News with Your Friends on Social Network     Comment on this Story

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