Archive · 30 Jul 2026
Kashmir Hotels: 90% Illegal, Governor Claims
The governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, said that most of the new hotels built in the region are not legal.
He said about 5,000 hotels were built between 2021 and 2025, and 90% of them are illegal.
He also said the people who built the hotels and the new taxis are "stakeholders of peace."
Some hotel owners, like Mushtaq Chaya, disagree and say many hotels are legal.
The tourism industry has been hurt by conflict and a 2023 attack that killed tourists.
The governor’s comments have sparked debate about how hotels should be built and regulated.
LG Manoj Sinha claims 90% of 5,000+ hotels built 2021‑2025 in Kashmir are illegal.
He estimated each hotel cost about ₹15 crore, totaling roughly ₹75,000 crore in investment.
Sinha called hotel owners and 20,000 new tourist taxis "stakeholders of peace."
Hotelier Mushtaq Chaya and others argue many of the new hotels are legal.
The tourism sector has suffered from conflict and the 2023 Pahalgam attack, with visitor numbers falling sharply.
- Who
- Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha
- What
- Declared 90% of new hotels illegal and called owners stakeholders of peace
- When
- Speech delivered in 2024 at the Ethical Tourism Conclave
- Where
- Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
- Why
- To highlight regulatory lapses and promote peace through tourism
- Lieutenant Governor
- Manoj Sinha
- Hotels built (2021-2025)
- 5,000+
- Illegal percentage
- 90%
- Total investment
- ₹75,000 crore
- Tourist taxis purchased
- 20,000
