Street food market proposed in D'sala
Lalit Mohan
Dharamsala, February 16
With the government giving push for promotion of tourism in Kangra district, another project has been proposed for Dharamsala city. The district administration of Kangra has directed officials to find land for a huge fountain and food market along with the parking facility for 200 vehicles in Khaniara area here.
Sources say the idea is to develop a street food market that can be an attraction for the tourists in the city.
Tent city planned near Dhauladhars
- Kangra Deputy Commissioner Nipun Jindal said he had received orders from the government to find land for developing a fountain and food market in Khaniara.
- The government has issued orders to district officials to identify land for tent city near the foothills of the Dhauladhar ranges, a golf course in Dharamsala and an IT park.
- People have welcomed the decision, but they are apprehensive and say that many ADB-funded projects in the district are not generating revenue and have become a liability.
Kangra Deputy Commissioner Nipun Jindal, said he had received orders from the government to find land for developing a fountain and food market in Khaniara area. Revenue officials have been directed to find suitable land for the project at the earliest.
Besides food market, the government has issued orders to district officials to identify land for tent city somewhere near the foothills of the Dhauladhar mountain ranges, a golf course in Dharamsala and an IT park.
Though people associated with the tourism industry have welcomed the government’s decision to focus on tourism development in the district, they have also expressed their apprehension regarding the infrastructure projects.
Raghav Guleria, who has his heritage resort in Pong Dam area, said that before making any fresh investment in infrastructure the government should first evaluate the investments made earlier in tourism sector. Many ADB-funded projects in Kangra district like huts in Nagrota Surian, a convention centre in hotel Bhagsu in McLeodganj and tents and huts on the banks of Pong Dam are not generating any revenue for the government and are not attracting tourists. These assets have become a liability on the government.
He said the private parties have already made huge investment in infrastructure by bringing up hotels and resorts in Kangra district. However, they are facing low occupancy and viability issues. In the last few years the tourist footfall in the region has fallen due to a variety of reasons. The government should look for ways to attract tourists to the area, Guleria said.
A member of hotel associations in Dharamsala alleged that even the existing hotels of Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) are facing low occupancy and profitability issues. The HPTDC has not been able to pay salaries to its employees regularly, they said.
The hotel and tourism organizations of Kangra, including Dharamsala Hotel and Restaurant Association and Smart City Dharamsala Hotel and Restaurant Association, have listed additional parking places and better roads as main demands from the government rather than creating new big infrastructure projects.
Kewal Singh Pathania, Congress MLA from Shahpur and HPCC general secretary, said he would write to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu regarding organizing more events in the region to attract the tourists.
