A special committee constituted by the state government to enhance the financial health of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) has sought suggestions from the public in this regard.
The committee, notified on October 16, 2024, is headed by retired IAS officer, Tarun Shridhar, with Managing Director of the Committee, Rajiv Kumar (IAS) as its secretary.
“We are reaching out to the general public for their valuable inputs/ suggestions. We recognize that innovative ideas can emerge from various perspectives and we want to hear from you.
We invite residents, stakeholders, and interested individuals to share their suggestions on how we can improve our financial practices and operations to take this Corporation to new heights,” said a release by Rajiv Kumar, Managing Director, HPTDC.
“Please send your suggestions via email to suggestions.hptdc@gmail.com. We encourage you to be as detailed as possible, outlining your ideas. We appreciate your participation and will carefully review each submission as we work to enhance our financial management,” said the release.
Formed in 1972, the HPTDC has been a pioneer in the development of tourism infrastructure in Himachal.
It provides a complete package of tourism services, including accommodation, catering, transport & conferencing having the largest chain of hotels and restaurants in the state with 56 hotels having 1111 rooms.
HPTDC also runs 64 restaurants and Cafes, serving a varied cuisine, including Himachali delicacies.
Some of the HPTDC hotels and restaurants have been running in losses due to their location and gaps in maintenance and services. Many HPTDC hotels are too costly compared to the private hotels, which offer better services at cheaper rates.
Sources said several times, there has been a discussion within the Tourism Corporation about giving some of the HPTDC properties to private players, as many of them have been constructed over the years in certain areas on political considerations, rather than on the basis of need. Yet, no decision has been taken in this regard.
The Committee is likely to review all these aspects and give their recommendations to the government for better showcasing and income generation.