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HPTDC hotels: Employees union assured 6 hotels will not be outsourced
The chief minister assured them that six hotels of HPTDC viz. Apple Blossom Fagu, Lake View Bilaspur, Hotel Chanshal Rohru, Hotel Ros Common Kasauli, Hotel Sarwari Kullu and Hotel Mamleshwar Chindi will continue to be managed by the HPTDC.
Following the decision of the state cabinet to outsource operations and management of 14 loss-making hotels, a delegation of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) Employees Union called on chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday and were assured six hotels will not be outsourced.
The chief minister assured them that six hotels of HPTDC viz. Apple Blossom Fagu, Lake View Bilaspur, Hotel Chanshal Rohru, Hotel Ros Common Kasauli, Hotel Sarwari Kullu and Hotel Mamleshwar Chindi will continue to be managed by the HPTDC.
The representatives of the Union assured the chief minister that they would make all-out efforts to bring all these hotels in profit within one year.
Sukhu said that the present state government is committed to support HPTDC and ensure the well being of the employees. He said that the government would establish a 30 rooms hotel with modern amenities at Tattapani in Mandi district to offer better services to the tourists visiting the area. He emphasised on the need for quality services and asked the employees to ensure high standards in food hospitality and other facilities to come upto the expectations of the visitors.
The Cabinet had in its June 28 meeting approved the proposal of outsourcing 14 HPTDC hotels amidst opposition from employees. The tourism department issued the directives to the HPTDC managing director in this regard July 9.
The 14 properties that the HPTDC has offered to private players are Kashmir House (Dharamsala), Roscommon Old (Kasauli), Sarvari (Kullu), Apple Blossom (Fagu), Shiwalik (Parwanoo), Ulh (Jogindernagar), Hill Top (Swarghat), Lakeview (Bilaspur), Bhagal (Darlaghat), Mamleshwar (Chindi-Mandi), Giriganga (Kharapatthar-Shimla), Chanshal (Rohru), Tourist Inn (Rajgarh-Sirmaur) and Wayside Amenity (Bhararighat-Solan).
Already, HPTDC chairman RS Bali, who is also the chairman of the state’s Tourism Development Board, has urged the state government to reconsider its Cabinet decision to outsource operations and management of 14 loss-making hotels.
“The Cabinet took this decision using its discretion. But our board of directors had earlier resolved that HPTDC will conduct a feasibility and visibility study to assess why losses are occurring. We believe that, if renovated and supported, these properties can be successfully run by HPTDC itself,” Bali had said on July 11 while talking to the media.
