Once Jinnah’s honeymoon spot, ‘enemy property’ in Nainital to bring parking relief

In a major relief for the traffic-choked lake city of Nainital, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday has temporarily allotted the grounds of the historic Metropole Hotel complex to the Uttarakhand government for use as a public parking facility, PTI reported.

The decision, conveyed through a letter from Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, follows a request by the latter citing the hill town’s severe parking crunch, particularly during the tourist season.

The open grounds of the Metropole Hotel, a 10-acre property located in the heart of the city, are expected to accommodate 700 to 1,000 vehicles, providing much-needed relief to residents and tourists alike. Officials and locals hope the move will considerably ease traffic flow in the busy lake city, especially during peak seasons.

Once a luxurious colonial-era hotel built in 1880 and frequented by prominent guests such as Pakistan’s founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who spent his honeymoon there, Metropole fell into decline after being designated as ‘enemy property’ in the 1960s. The classification came following the migration of its then-owner, the Raja of Mehmoodabad, to Pakistan after Partition. Under Indian law, properties left behind by those who moved to Pakistan during or after Partition are classified as enemy property and come under the custody of the government.

Over time, the once-iconic site had deteriorated, with portions of its open space being gradually encroached upon. In a major move last year, around 134 families were evicted from the premises following a Supreme Court directive, clearing the way for possible public use, TOI reported.

The latest move is not the first step in that direction. In October 2023, the Office of the Custodian of Enemy Property functioning under the MHA issued a temporary No Objection Certificate to the Nainital district magistrate for surface-level parking on an ad-hoc basis. The current allotment, however, formalises the arrangement until further orders, giving the administration more scope to plan and manage parking infrastructure in the short term.

According to the TOI report, the state government confirmed receiving official communication from the Union home minister. CM Dhami expressed gratitude, stating that the initiative would "significantly ease traffic congestion and improve logistical convenience in the region."

With thousands of visitors thronging Nainital during holidays and weekends, the town has for years struggled with a lack of organised parking, often leading to traffic snarls and haphazard roadside halts. Authorities and locals alike have welcomed the move as a practical solution, even if temporary, to a long-standing civic challenge.