But 7 stars are spared

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Bombay High Court on Friday has urged the court to disconnect the water supply to hotel Imperial Palace, an alleged illegal construction, in the Royal Palms premises in the Aarey Milk Colony.

The PIL filed by activist Rajendra Thacker has stated that he was “shocked” to read about the inauguration of seven-star hotel, Imperial Palace, by CM Ashok Chavan last month. The PIL, a copy of which is with DNA, mentions that the state government has given “undue privileges” to palatial hotels, while depriving citizens of regular water supply. “The PIL has been mentioned before the court on Friday and will be heard by a bench presided over by the Chief Justice on Monday,” said Thacker’s advocate Sumedha Rao.

“As per the BMC’s policy, no new water connections are granted from April till the end of the monsoon every year. However, the sprawling hotel  has been made an exception to this rule,” Rao said.

According to the PIL, the construction in the Royal Palms premises, although a luxury hotel, has been sanctioned by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority and is illegal. The state government and the CM, the PIL says, were aware of the scarcity of water but still went ahead with the inauguration of the seven star.