Pvt hotel moves HC against Delhi govt's decision to convert it into COVID hospital

A private hotel has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the AAP government's decision to convert it into an extended COVID-19 hospital. The petition, which is listed for hearing on Thursday before Justice Navin Chawla, has been filed by CHL Limited which owns the Hotel Surya (200 beds) in New Friends Colony.

The plea has challenged the May 29 order of Delhi government's Health Department by which certain hotels, including Hotel Surya, have been ordered to be requisitioned by the district magistrate and be given to certain private hospitals for the purpose of converting them into extended COVID hospitals wherein medical services shall be provided by these private hospitals by admitting coronavirus positive patients as per their medical condition.

Hotel Surya was directed to be requisitioned and handed over to the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital for converting it into an extended COVID hospital. According to the order, the government has also decided the rates payable by each patient on each night stay. The plea said the government has fixed the fees without consulting it, however, in all the previous orders, the private hospitals have been given a free hand.

As an interim relief, the plea has sought a stay on the Delhi government's order and to restrain the district magistrate from requisitioning the petitioner's hotel. Seeking to set aside the government's order, the plea said the authorities ought to have discussed the future course of action with the stakeholders, as conversion of the hotel into a COVID hospital will affect its business and its customers will be reluctant to stay in such a property.

"Being seriously aggrieved, dissatisfied and prejudiced by the arbitrary, illegal and high handedness act of the Government of NCT of Delhi, the petitioner is constrained to approach this court by filing the present petition," it said.