HPTDC to develop Shiv Dham in Mandi
Shimla, March 13
Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) Chairman and MLA Raghubir Singh Bali said in order to develop Shiv Dham in Mandi, a special approval had been taken from the state government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Four jyotirlingas have been set up
Four jyotirlingas have been set up and eight more are to be made. The state government has released an additional amount of Rs 11. 62 crore for this project, taking the total amount to Rs 33.44 crore and tenders for the same will be floated soon. — Raghubir Singh Bali, HPTDC Chairman
During a press conference here today, Bali said at first around 12 jyotirlingas would be set up at the Shiv Dham.
“So far, four jyotirlingas have been set up, while eight more are to be made by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation,” he added.
He said Rs 38 crore was sanctioned for the project during the tenure of the previous state government, out of which Rs 16 crore was spent and Rs 22 crore was left with the government. “The present state government has released an additional amount of Rs 11. 62 crore for this project, taking the total amount to Rs 33.44 crore and tenders for the same will be floated soon,” Bali said.
He also said irregularities were found in the previous contractor’s work due to which the state government handed over the tender of Shiv Dham to a new contractor. “Investigation against the previous contractor is ongoing and further information will be provided only after the competition of the investigation,” he added.
He said the HPTDC would renovate its hotels and in the first phase, Hotel Peterhoff would be renovated for which an amount of Rs 11 crore had been sanctioned and a tender for the same would also be floated. Similarly, Rs 5.5 crore would be spent on the renovation of Hotel Holiday Home.
He said the HPTDC was going to kick off a mega-renovation project under which hotels in Dharamsala, Chamba and Manali would be renovated. Bali said the corporation had classified the hotels under three categories — A, B and C.
“The hotels that cater to the highest number of tourists have been classified under A category, while the hotels where tourists inflow is lower than the A category are classified as B category hotels. The hotels that attract the least amount of tourists have been put under the C category.”
