Himachal Pradesh to Close 18 Underperforming Tourism Hotels

                The Himachal Pradesh high court has directed Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) to close 18 “loss-making” 
The directions were issued by Justice Ajay Mohan Goel on Tuesday while hearing a petition related to retired employees of the corporation not being given financial benefits. The court 
has asked the HPTDC managing director to ensure compliance with the orders to close these hotels by November 25.
Notably, the HPTDC operates a total of 56 hotels in the state, many of which have been running in losses for many years. The corporation has also in the past had difficulties to pay 
salaries and pensions and the matter of service benefits of pensioners is also pending in court.
“In fact, when this court firstly took up the issue and passed a detailed order on September 17, 2024, it expected the respondents to come up with something cogent and concrete, so 
as to augment the resources of the tourism development corporation, but as from September 17, 2024, till the time of dictation of this order, not even a small pebble has been 
moved/turned by the tourism development corporation in said direction,” the court order read.
“Therefore, in order to ensure that public resources are not wasted by the tourism development corporation in the upkeep of these white elephants, it is hereby ordered that the 
following properties shall be closed forthwith w.e.f. November 25, 2024, as running of these properties is apparently not financially viable,” it added.
The court dubbed the hotels a “burden on the state” and took into consideration hotels where occupancy was less than 50%, saying, “Tourism development corporation has not been 
able to utilise its properties to earn profit therefrom. The continuation of the functioning of these properties but natural is nothing but a burden on the exchequer of the state and the 
court can take judicial notice of the fact that there is a financial crunch which is daily being propagated by the State in the matters being listed before the court involving finances.”
HPTDC, in compliance to HC’s earlier orders, had presented the information related to the occupancy of its 56 hotels.
Among the hotels set to be closed include, The Palace Hotel, Chail; Hotel Geetanjali, Dalhousie, Hotel Baghal, Dadlaghat; Hotel Dhauladhar, Dharamshala; Hotel Kunal, 
Dharamshala; Hotel Kashmir House, Dharamshala; Hotel Apple Blossom, Fagu; Hotel Chandrabhaga, Keylong; Hotel Deodar, Khajjiar; Hotel Giriganga, Kharapathar; Hotel Meghdoot, 
Kiyarighat; Hotel Sarvari, Kullu; Hotel Log Huts, Manali; Hotel Hadimba Cottage, Manali; Hotel Kunjum, Manali; Hotel Bhagsu, Mcleodganj; Hotel The Castle, Naggar; and Hotel 
Shivalik Parwanoo.
The HC has allowed “skeletal staff” necessary for the upkeep of the property to be retained in the premises. The order said the corporation shall be at liberty to transfer the remaining 
of its employees elsewhere.
The order has also asked the MD to file a compliance affidavit on the implementation of the orders related to the closure of the hotels on December 3, 2024, and submit a list of retired 
Class-4 employees who have not received their financial benefits.
Calls to the MD did not yield any results.
The hotels run by HPTDC that have showed occupancy of more than 50% include Hotel Hamir, Hamirpur; Hotel Jwalaji, Jawalamukhi; Hotel Ros Common (Old) Kasauli; Hotel Tourist 
Inn, Rewalsar; The Suket, Sundernagar; and Himachal Bhawan, Chandigarh.


Source : Hindustan Times