HPTDC head office to be shifted to Kangra: Bali

The head office of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), which has been operating from a rented building on the Mall Road, Shimla, since 1972, will now be shifted to Kangra district, said Raghubir Singh Bali, Chairman of the corporation, during a press conference held here today.

Bali said that the office had received eviction notices for years and as Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had declared Kangra as the ‘Tourism capital’ of Himachal Pradesh, the Board of Directors of the HPTDC unanimously decided at a recent meeting to move its head office to Kangra.

“With the relocation of the head office, senior officials, including the MD, GMs, DGMs, and the entire office staff will now operate from Dharamsala. Suitable buildings for office use have already been identified and the Municipal Corporation, Dharamsala, has also offered vacant government buildings, which are being evaluated for use” said Bali.

He termed it as a landmark decision that was not just physical relocation but also a step towards shaping Himachal’s tourism future. “The shift represents strategic decentralisation of the Tourism Department’s administration. Going forward, properties from the Himachal Bhawan in New Delhi and Chandigarh to Kaza, Kalpa and other lower regions will be managed from Dharamsala,” he added,

Bali said, “The decision will also help in reducing congestion in Shimla and easing burden on the town. Moreover, it aligns with the Chief Minister’s vision to establish Kangra as the state’s tourism capital.”

He said that the HPTDC was managing 56 hotels, several of which had remained closed for years or were in disrepair. “Renovation work on many of these properties has now begun with Asian Development Bank funds. Tenders have been floated for some and consultants are being appointed to assess feasibility and prepare roadmaps for others,” he added.

Bali said, “Several major projects such as Mata Ka Baag in Kangra, Bir-Billing Institute and Art and Culture Village, which had remained non-functional despite significant government investment, and the HPTDC is now reviving them. These are valuable assets and will not be allowed to fall into ruin.”