Garhwal Post Bureau
Mussoorie, 8 Oct: The Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) took major action on Thursday against unauthorized construction being carried out in Mussoorie. Following orders from Joint Secretary/SDM, Mussoorie, Rahul Anand, a team sealed 12 rooms and the basement of Hotel Atithi, located in the Library area, due to unauthorized construction. A police force was also present at the site during the operation. The MDDA team executed this action based on construction-related records and previously issued orders. Ajay Malik, the Authority’s Assistant Engineer, stated that the sealing operation was conducted following the Joint Secretary’s orders. He noted that the MDDA team sealed the 12 rooms and the basement within the Hotel Atithi premises that were identified as unauthorized constructions.
Following the Authority’s action, access to the unauthorized sections of the hotel premises was restricted. This MDDA action comes at a time when the Authority is already actively addressing the issue of unauthorized construction in Mussoorie. Another file maintained by the Authority mentions construction work related to a property on Dick Road, Mussoorie. That case involved the construction of RCC columns and beams within the existing main building and outhouse, as well as hill excavation for the construction of retaining walls and RCC structures. According to the Authority, proceedings in this matter were initiated under Section 27 of the Uttarakhand (Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973) Amendment Act, 2009. A show-cause notice and a stop-work notice had been issued to the concerned party on April 24, 2026. They stated that the report submitted by field engineers mentions the excavation of the hillside alongside the construction of RCC walls, retaining walls, columns, and beams at the site. The report details the construction of RCC walls and retaining walls at various locations and notes preparations to replace existing structures with new ones. According to the MDDA, obtaining necessary permission from the authority is mandatory for any unauthorized construction or development work. The party had also been asked to submit construction-related documents and, if required, a regularization plan (compounding map).
The authority states that, despite the prescribed procedures, the necessary construction approvals were not submitted. Concerns regarding increasing construction and hillside cutting in Mussoorie have been raised for a long time. Given the city’s geographical terrain, the MDDA is continuously monitoring the situation and taking action against unauthorized construction. The sealing of the basement and 12 rooms at Hotel Atithi is also considered part of this campaign. The authority’s action has caused a stir among hotel operators and those involved in construction work. Locally, this move is being viewed in the context of compliance with building construction regulations in Mussoorie.
Officials present during the operation included Assistant Engineer Ajay Malik, Junior Engineers Anuj Pandey and Anurag Nautiyal, and Supervisors Sanjeev Kumar, Uday Negi, and Indra Dev Nautiyal.
