Tourism project constructed with ADB funds lying defunct in Kangra

Lalit Mohan

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Dharamsala, February 2

A tourism project funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Kangra district is lying defunct.

The project includes huts constructed by the Tourism Department in Nagrota Surian and tents and cottages put up on the banks of the Pong Dam lake near Dhameta area of the district.

Huts were built at a cost of about Rs 3.5 crore during the stint of the previous Congress government from 2012 to 2017 using funds provided by the ADB.

Review Meeting with CM soon

• Director Tourism and Civil Aviation, Amit Kashyap says the huts and cottages developed near Pong Dam were being run by the HPTDC
• About the huts developed in Nagrota Surian, he said CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has convened a meeting for development of tourism in Pong Dam lake
• All the projects in the area will be reviewed in the meeting

The huts are located on the banks of a local rivulet on the Nagrota Surain- Nandpur road, about 3 km from Nagrota Surian. As per the information, the huts were constructed by the department using the loan given by the ADB to the state to cater to tourists coming to the Pong Dam lake.

The unit that came up at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore includes three independent rooms, dining hall, platforms and toilets, besides the area for pitching up tents for temporary accommodation. Now, about eight years since the huts were built, these have not been occupied even for one day.

A visit to the property reveals that most of the windows of the huts have decayed, air conditioners purchased for huts had not been even opened and were lying in packing for the last five years, the furniture has worn out and temporary tents were lying in closed packing.

Sources here said that the Tourism Department had handed over the building to the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) for running it commercially. The HPTDC has not taken over the property terming it unviable. The property was later handed over to the Forest Department.

A budget of about Rs 7 crore was proposed to redevelop the huts and other infrastructure by the Forest Department. However, nothing has been done in this regard till date.

The sources here said that the tents and cottages developed near Pong Dam were also a loss-making venture for the Tourism Department.

Director, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Amit Kashyap, when contacted, said that the huts and cottages developed near Pong Dam were being run by the HPTDC. About the huts developed in Nagrota Surian, the Director said that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has convened a meeting for development of tourism in Pong Dam lake area. All the projects in the area would be reviewed in the meeting.

The previous Congress government had raised loan from the ADB to raise tourism infrastructure in the state, including the said huts in Nagrota Surian. The infrastructure was supposed to create viable assets that could have helped state create employment and also repay the loan. However, due to apathy of officials the assets have become a liability on the state.

New chairman of the Tourism Development Board, RS Bali, when asked, said that the government would try to revive the old tourism projects. Besides, the government would also send a proposal to the ADB for fresh investment to develop tourist circuits in the state.