HC asks restaurant not to serve liquor in Amber premises

16 jan 2010 JAIPUR: Rajasthan High Court on Friday directed Mount Shivalik, the hotel chain which runs luxury restaurant 'New Sheesh Mahal-1135 AD' at Amber
Fort, not to serve liquor during dinner or at late night parties as it seriously offends public sentiments.

The court also issued notices to the secretary (art, culture and tourism), director (archaeology and museum) and the director RTDC for allowing a private restaurant to run commercial activities at the fort and shifting of the lunch facilities from RTDC to the restaurant.

The court order came on a petition filed by one Chandi Charan Rattu seeking directions for closure of the restaurant, situated on first floor of the fort above Shila Mata temple, for allegedly conducting booze parties late in the night.

The restaurant is alleged to have even thrown a late night New Year's party to oblige top state bureaucrats on December 30 last year in violation of the law that the protected monument could not be used for any activity after sunset. The petitioner alleged that he is a devotee of goddess Shila Mata and that his sentiment was badly hurt due to the action of the state authorities in allowing a private company to run a commercial and luxury restaurant on the roof top of the temple.

Besides, the restaurant was allegedly serving liquor during lunch to passengers travelling on Palace-on-Wheels, a heritage train run by RTDC. Through his counsel Ajay Kumar Jain, Rattu pleaded to the court that serving of liquor in the fort may be stopped.

The petitioner suggested that the authorities concerned may be asked to constitute a 'state advisory board' for the protection and upkeep of the protected monuments in the state as has been provided in the law but the same has not been made effected since last 40 years.

He also pointed out that in its order in the case of stampede during the shooting of film 'Veer', a division bench the court quashed all the MoUs entered by private parties with Amber Development and Management Authority (ADMA) for running commercial activities in the fort premises.

On the other hand, restaurant owner's counsel Kamlakar Sharma argued that the government, after filing of a writ petition on January 13, has notified that the areas of free entry to the fort will remain open till 11.30 pm and since the restaurant falls in this area, it is wrong to say that it is being run illegally.

On the contrary, Jain contended that the relaxation order has been passed at the instance of ADMA, a private society which has no legal authority to act in the fort as per the order of another bench.

Jain argued that the state government should have called for fresh tenders if at all some commercial activities were necessary to have been started in greater interest of tourism. He, therefore, prayed that all the fresh licences issued by the state government without calling fresh tenders be struck down.