Tata likely to get 3 months' extension for Taj Mansingh hotel

Tata-owned Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) is likely to get an extension of three months to operate Taj Mansingh hotel in posh Lutyens Bungalow Zone here after its lease expires next month.
The IHCL has been running the landmark property for past 35 years and its lease is due to expire on October 10.
The New Delhi Municipal Council, which owns the property located in the heart of the national capital on Mansingh road, is yet to come to any conclusion on auctioning the hotel as it is waiting for the Solicitor General's opinion.
NDMC sought the opinion of the Solicitor General after it got a nod from the Home Ministry for it earlier this month.

NDMC officials said the civic body is likely to extend the lease with the IHCL for operating the hotel for at least three months as it cannot reach a decision on the issue until it gets the opinion of the Solicitor General.
The decision to grant the three months extension to IHCL is likely to be taken during the next council meeting to be held on October 7.

"The election code of conduct for the assembly polls in Delhi is likely to be in place in a few days and it will become difficult to auction the property during that time," an official said.

However, according to NDMC chairperson Jalaj Srivastava, the agency can approach the election commission for a "special permission" to auction the property in that case.
"If the agency gets the Solicitor General's opinion during the time when the code of conduct is in place, we can seek special permission from the Election Commission to allow us to auction the hotel," Srivastava said.