Half the properties in red, HPTDC plans expansion

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 13

Even as half of its properties remain in losses, the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) is planning to expand some units at prime locations and have commercial ventures which will supplement its income.

The HPTDC has embarked on major expansion plans for Kiarighat, Kasauli, Kullu and Manali. The focus is optimum utilisation of the vast expanse of land at these places and modernisation of the hotels to cater to the requirements of guests.

The blueprint for the construction of a big convention hall with all latest facilities for conferences and a hotel with 40 rooms at Kiarighat, near Kandaghat, is ready. The “Apple Cart” hotel of the HPTDC is on a prime location on the Shimla-Solan highway but it has only six rooms, despite heavy demand.

“The building plans are ready and we hope to start work shortly. There is a lot of scope for expansion and moreover we have over 11 bighas of land,” said Harish Janartha, Vice-Chairman of the HPTDC.

He said Kasauli was another prime location where there is a lot of tourist rush, especially on weekends. “The hotel has only eight rooms but we have already started work to increase it to 20. Efforts are on to take it up to 40 rooms, seeing the demand,” said Janartha.

Considering its close proximity to Chandigarh and Haryana, Kasauli receives the maximum number of tourists, especially on weekends, and people have to stay in Dharampur or nearby areas as hotels in the hill resort are full.

The HPTDC also has plans to construct commercial complexes at Kullu and Manali. The idea is to have revenue-generating properties and not just have dependence on hotel complexes. “We want to create properties which bring us regular returns and for this we feel there can be no better place than Kullu and Manali, which remain the preferred destinations,” said Janartha.

He also said till November 30, the HPTDC registered a profit of about Rs 7 crore. “It is the result of several initiatives, including regularising the services of employees and giving them promotions, that the corporation has registered a profit,” he said. In 2013, the HPTDC had a loss of Rs 5.56 crore.

He, however, ruled out plans to lease out loss-making units of the HPTDC to private players. Almost 30 of the 56 properties of the HPTDC are in the loss and there is talk of leasing these to private players.