Days after it had ordered the closure of 18 Himachal Pradesh Tourism Improvement Company (HPTDC) motels describing them as “white elephants”, the Himachal Pradesh Excessive Court docket on Friday allowed 9 of them to stay operational till March 31 subsequent 12 months.
A single-judge bench of Justice Ajay Mohan Goel modified his earlier order after the HPTDC filed an software.
The 9 motels permitted to stay open are The Palace Lodge (Chail), Lodge Devdar (Khajjiar), The Citadel (Naggar), Lodge Meghdoot (Kiarighat), Lodge Chandrabhaga (Keylong), Lodge Log Huts (Manali), Lodge Kunzum (Manali), Lodge Bhagsu (Mcleodganj) and Lodge Dhauladhar (Dharamshala).
“On November 19, the excessive court docket had ordered the closing of 18 motels out of 56 run by HPTDC on the idea of much less occupancy. We knowledgeable the excessive court docket that occupancy shouldn’t be the only facet to see if a lodge is making a revenue or loss. We introduced figures that apart from the occupancy, revenue is being generated by way of different means, together with organising personal features, authorities features and so forth in these motels, advocate Shilpa Goel, HPTDC counsel, advised The Indian Specific.
On November 19, Justice Goel had described the 18 motels as “white elephants” and directed their fast closure, efficient November 25, as a part of a listening to on a petition relating to unpaid monetary advantages to retired HPTDC staff.
With the court docket directing the tourism company that they be closed by November 25, the destiny of the remaining 9 motels, which embody Lodge Geetanjali (Dalhousie), Lodge Baghal (Darlaghat), Lodge Kunal (Dharamshala), Lodge Kashmir Home (Dharamshala), Lodge Apple Blossom (Fagu), Lodge Giriganga (Kharapathar), Lodge Sarvari (Kullu), and Lodge Shivalik (Parwanoo), will likely be selected November 24.
In the meantime, the choice to shut the 18 motels coupled with the attachment of Himachal Bhawan in Delhi has put the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led authorities on the defensive. The Opposition BJP has strongly criticised the state authorities, accusing it of failing to guard Himachal Pradesh’s pursuits and heritage.
