PTI

New Delhi, Jul 19: The Supreme Court today refused to give any relief to hospitality companies, including ITC and Indian Hotels Company Ltd, whose land lease for building 14 hotels in Noida ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games was cancelled by the Mayawati government.     

A bench headed by Justice R V Raveendran also issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and the Noida authority and also directed the parties to maintain status quo with regard to possession of land and further construction.     

The court asked the hospitality companies to present their case on August 11 to Principle Secretary, Industrial Development Department, UP, who without being influenced by the Allahabad High Court's observations in the matter should pass a final order by September 9.     

The High Court had quashed the lease cancellation orders passed by Noida authorities and had remanded the matter to the state government for reconsideration.     

Senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for the hospitality companies, argued that the Mayawati government had scrapped the allotments made by the Mulayam Singh government citing corruption in land auctions.

"They are lampooning the previous government," he added.     

He argued that grant of land to hotels at industrial rates was an incentive for setting up the hotels in the state.     

Various hospitality companies — ITC, Indian Hotels Company Ltd, Bharat Hotels Ltd, Hampshire Hotels & Rest (Noida), Arora Holdings Ltd, Royal Orchid Hotels, Orchid Infrastructure Development Pvt Ltd, Clarkston Hotels, Mariada Holdings Ltd, Noida Luxury Hotels & Resorts, Swiss Bel Hotel International, and Rendezvous Hotels International Pvt Ltd — had moved the apex court to challenge the High Court judgement.