Despite suffering a monthly loss of Rs 15 lakh in running eateries at its flagship hotels — Mountview and Shivalikview — Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO) is offering heavy discounts — in form of privilege cards — to bureaucrats, judges and other senior officers in the city.
Under its new policy, which is likely to get the nod in the next board of directors’ meeting, the corporation has even included bureaucrats from Punjab and Haryana besides Punjab and Haryana high court and district court judges for 30% discount on food and beverages at its hotels. Earlier, the discount was offered only to senior UT bureaucrats.
The policy states that even Punjab Civil Services (PCS) and Haryana Civil Services (HCS) officers deputed in Chandigarh will get 30% discount. Also, 25% discount will be offered to the central excise and taxation and income tax officers of the rank of assistant to additional commissioner besides superintending engineers of all departments in the city.
Eight directors in the CITCO board — including UT home and finance secretaries — already enjoy 50% discount, even on liquor, at its hotels.
Besides Mountview in Sector 10 and Shivalikview in Sector 17, the discount will be available at CITCO’s budget hotel Parkview in Sector 24. The corporation manages to earn profits from this hotel besides Chef Lakeview at Sukhna Lake and its petrol pumps and steel depot. Its two other outlets – Baithak in Kalagram and Drop In in Sector 34 — are shut.
CITCO chief general manager Uma Shankar Gupta said the final decision will be taken at the next board of directors’ meeting scheduled next month.
{{/usCountry}}CITCO chief general manager Uma Shankar Gupta said the final decision will be taken at the next board of directors’ meeting scheduled next month.
{{/usCountry}}Baljinder Singh Bittu, chairman of the Federation of Sectors Welfare Association Chandigarh, said that while the central government is insisting on curbing privileges of bureaucrats, CITCO is trying to appease the officers and judges.
“The babus want more privileges while ignoring the common man,” he said.
Outlets shut, losses pile up
Despite Rs 85-lakh losses last year, CITCO has taken no concrete step to revive its two former hot spots. Baithak at Kalagram is non-functional since November 2016. Its dilapidated condition is keeping potential bidders away. Even its air-conditioned banquet hall, which was popular for weddings and other functions, is closed.
Drop In, which opened in Sector 34 in 2002 and used to attract coffee lovers, is shut for the past five months.
CITCO chief general manager Uma Shanker Gupta said: “We will soon float third tender for Baithak. We got a single bid last time. As far as Drop In is concerned, tenders have already been floated and we will open the bids on January 29.”
CITCO was incorporated as a company in March 1974. It was originally known as Chandigarh Small Industries Development Corporation (CSIDC) and got additional functions of promoting tourism and other related activities in 1982.