Tourism corpn-run hotel cries for attention

Even as the Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led state government is planning to set up a tourism village on the Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University’s prime land on the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway, a hotel being run by the HP Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) in Palampur continues to be in a state of neglect.

It is learnt that most hotels of the HPTDC, a government undertaking, are incurring losses year after year.

Spread over 20 kanals, Hotel T- Bud is situated in a prime location in Palampur with lush green tea gardens opposite its complex. Surrounded by deodar and pine trees, the red-brick building is a haven for those seeking solitude and privacy.

Unfortunately, for the past 25 years no major repairs have been carried out at this valuable property of the HPTDC. In the absence of proper maintenance, the building and other infrastructure are in a state of neglect. None of the suites have air-conditioners. The infrastructure, including rooms, washrooms, kitchen, dining halls and furniture, need an immediate overhaul. Since Palampur gets a high amount of rain, the tin roof of the hotel leaks in the rainy season resulting in dampness in the building. Sanitary fittings in the washrooms have gone obsolete and need immediate replacement.

During the tourist season when mercury crosses 32 degrees Celsius in Palampur, tourists return disappointed from Hotel T-Bud as the rooms lack air-conditioners. The parking lot at the hotel has developed deep potholes.

Local MLA and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Ashish Butail told the Tribune that he had taken up the matter with the Chief Minister and the state government would soon release funds to carry out the repairs and renovation at Hotel T-Bud.