Legislative Council Poor hospitality at Kashmir House in Delhi triggers debate

Legislative Council
Poor hospitality at Kashmir House in Delhi triggers debate
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 1
Poor hospitality at the JK Guest House (Kashmir House) in Delhi triggered a heated debate in the Legislative Council here recently. Legislators from both the ruling and the Opposition parties while complaining about the poor infrastructure and staff deployed there, told the Minister In-charge Hospitality and Protocol Department Abdul Rahim Rather to immediately look into the matter.

The issue was discussed in the House, when Mohammad Amin Bhat of the Congress asked what steps were being taken to facilitate the legislators and other dignitaries staying at the JK Guest House in Delhi.

On this, Naresh Gupta of the Congress also added, “The bed sheets are torn, televisions are also not functioning, no heating systems have been provided at the JK Guest House. So, the department should immediately take action in this regard”.

Another legislator, BR Magrey of the Congress said, “It is more of a slaughter house than a guest house. The acting chairman has also raised this issue with the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in a meeting, but no action has been taken in this regard as yet”.

He added, “The peons deputed there do not respond to the guests. Fresh staff should be sent from Srinagar, so that the situation could improve”.

On this, Abdul Rahim Rather accepted the guests were facing problems there. He said, “The Resident Commission has been provided with Rs 15 lakh for the purchase of furniture and furnishing of the guest house”.

Murtaza Ahmad Khan of the PDP said, “One Member of Parliament is residing at the Guest House for almost two years, despite the fact having a government owned residential accommodation in Delhi”.

Some other members namely Vijay Bakaya of the NC, Amrit Malhotra of the Congress also raised the same issue.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Amin Bhat said, “If we talk about the Guest Houses for legislators in our own state, the condition is pitiable. Even an insect will not stay there”.

After a long discussion, Rather said, “I knew the legislators will raise a number of questions, as the issue is related to them”.

Specifically replying to Murtaza’s question, he said, “Yes, it is true that MP Mohammad Shafi Uri had stayed there, as the Union Government had requested us to provide him an accommodation. Can anyone refuse Centre’s request? But now, he has shifted to the accommodation provided to him by the government”.

While replying to the questions of other members, he said, “The Resident Commission is already in the progress of upgrading the system. Besides this, the Indian Tourism Development Corporation has also been approached to organise a refresher training course for its staff in housekeeping, front office and room service”.

He also accepted the vehicles with the Guest House were in bad shape and the Resident Commission had requested the state government to replace them.