Fate of Lalitha Mahal Hotel?

Sir,

Apropos to N.K.A. Ballal’s article titled “Is Lalitha Mahal Hotel going Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion way?” in Star of Mysore dated May 23 and the subsequent letters by others regarding Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, I had the privilege of visiting this beautiful (then in mid 90s) hotel with family and we were immensely thrilled and privileged to have dinner in one of the Palaces of Mysore Maharaja.

Even during India Tourism Development Corporation’s (ITDC) management of the hotel, when Ballal was the General Manager I had visited this hotel for arranging accommodation for one of the Central Ministers and his Group. It was really great and the guests were thrilled about the beauty of the building. Mysore Palace is directly visible from this hotel.

Alas, after ITDC handed over this to State Government this has become one of the Government Guest Houses. First of all, Government has no business to involve itself in commercial activities as the system is incapable of managing.

In fact, people of Mysuru expected the Government to call tender and hand it over to an internationally well-known and professionally managed hospitality group. Instead, they went on polishing off the earnings and allowed it to rot with only contract workers. How can one expect professionalism from such people?

The present Government has many enterprising (!?) leaders involved in every type of business. One such leader will grab this property and that will be the end of this historical building.

Mysuru city has seen how public properties are dolled out to politicians and their acolytes for pittance. It is sad, if this historically beautiful building meets the same fate.