A picture of neglect, Tourism Department’s restaurant-cum-café on Pathankot-Mandi road not operational for long
Walls of building have developed cracks, fittings have broken and there is overgrown vegetation all around
A restaurant-cum-cafe of the state Tourism Department constructed along the busy Pathankot-Mandi National Highway on the border of Mandi district at Ghatta, 25 km from here, has been lying abandoned for years.
The facility, built at a cost of several lakhs of rupees, was envisioned to be a modern wayside amenity for tourists and commuters travelling on the strategically-important highway. The Pathankot-Mandi road stretch, which witnesses heavy traffic throughout the year, serves as a key route for visitors heading towards popular destinations in Himachal Pradesh. The project was expected to strengthen roadside tourism infrastructure, provide hygienic dining facilities and generate employment opportunities for the local youth.
However, despite significant investment, the building has never been fully operational and is in a state of neglect now. This structure is visibly deteriorating, with cracks appearing on walls, broken fittings, paint peeling and overgrown vegetation surrounding its premises. What was once planned as a welcoming stopover for travellers has now become a symbol of administrative indifference.
Local residents have expressed disappointment over the condition of the property. Many of them question why such a prime facility has been allowed to decay without any serious effort to either revive it or repurpose it. They say that the building could have become a major convenience point for the travellers while simultaneously boosting small-scale economic activity in the area.
The abandonment of the restaurant-cum-café has also raised broader concerns regarding planning and accountability in public infrastructure projects. Critics argue that before investing public money, departments must ensure proper feasibility assessments, clear operational models and sustainable maintenance plans. Without these safeguards, valuable government assets risk turning into liabilities.
As the condition of the restaurant building continues to deteriorate, the residents are urging the state government and the Tourism Department to conduct an inquiry into the matter. They are demanding immediate steps to either make the facility functional by leasing it or the department itself operates it or convert it into a useful public utility so that taxpayers’ hard-earned money does not go down the drain.
The neglected structure now stands as a stark reminder that development is not merely about constructing buildings but about ensuring their effective utilisation for the benefit of the public.
Nagrota Bagwan MLA RS Bali, who is also the Chairman of the HP State Tourism Development Corporation, says that this property was constructed during the tenure of the previous BJP government without a policy, planning and the proper selection of site, therefore many such properties have not proved profitable ventures for the HPTDC. He adds that repeated efforts have been made to make it operational by handing it over the café to private parties but they also left it midway, hence it is closed now.
Bali says that the state government is framing a new policy to put these valuable properties in use either by the HPTDC or in the public-private partnership mode.
