Refusal to register a hotel.

The prescribed authority may refuse registration of a hotel under this Act on any of the following grounds, namely- (a) if the hotel keeper does not hold a licence or certificate required to be held by him under any law for the time being in force; (b) if the hotel keeper is found to be in unlawful possession or under his control of any explosive substance of a nature likely to endanger life or to cause serious injury to property; Explanation:- Explosive substance shall be deemed to include any material for making any explosive substance; also any apparatus, machine, implement or material used, or intended to be used or adapted for causing, aiding in causing, any explosion in or with any explosive substance; also any part of any such, apparatus, machine or implement. (c) if the hotel-keeper is convicted of any offence under the Arms Act, 1959, and five years have not been elapsed since the expiry of the sentence imposed upon him; (d) if the hotel keeper is convicted of any offence punishable under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988; and five years have not elapsed since the expiry of the sentence imposed upon him; (e) If the hotel keeper is convicted of any offence punishable under Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 and five years have not elapsed since the expiry of the sentence imposed upon him; (f) if the hotel-keeper is convicted of any offence under Chapter XIII and XIV of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and under any law providing for the prevention of hoarding, smuggling, gambling or profiteering or adulteration of food or drug and three years have not elapsed since the expiry of the sentence imposed upon him; (g) if the hotel keeper has been declared an insolvent by a court of competent jurisdiction and has not been discharged; (h) if the name of hotel keeper has been removed from the register under any of the clauses (a) to (i) of sub-section (1) of section 13 and six months have elapsed since the date of removal; (i) if in the opinion of the prescribed authority, there is any sufficient ground, to be recorded in writing for refusing registration.