BJP, Cong in war of words over HPTDC properties
The BJP and the Congress are engaged in a face-off over the properties of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) that the Himachal High Court had ordered to be closed from November 25 due to low occupancy and financial losses.
Former minister Rakesh Pathania, while addressing mediapersons here today, alleged that the Congress government in the state was planning to sell the properties of the HPTDC. “Himachal is being put on sale as the court has ordered the attachment of the Himachal Bhawan in New Delhi and ordered the closure of 18 properties of the HPTDC,” he added.
Pathania said that when he was the Chairman of the HPTDC, its properties were running in profits. “The HPTDC properties are located in prime locations in Himachal and it is strange that still they are running in losses. As per the data procured from the Tourism Department, many new private hotels and restaurants are coming up in the state. If private hotels can make profits, the government should explain as to why its properties are running in losses,” he added.
Pathania said that the employees of the corporation were being forced to move court to get their retirement dues. Besides the HPTDC, the HP State Electricity Board and the Forest Corporation were also running in losses. The way the present government was handling the corporations, it was bringing a bad name to the state. The BJP would not allow the sale of the government properties and would resort to an agitation to save these, he added.
Meanwhile, HPTDC Chairman RS Bali termed Pathania’s allegations as baseless and said he had present false data. The HPTDC has always incurred losses since its inception in 1972-73. The reasons for the losses was that the corporation had opened hotels in areas where there were very little facilities. This was done to promote even hinterlands of the state to tourists.
Bali said that the Congress formed government two years ago and since then the HPTDC had registered the highest ever sales. During 2022-23, the HPTDC hotels had registered sales of Rs 109.82 crore that was highest ever since its inception. During 2023-24, the organisation had registered sales of Rs 105.13 crore though a disaster had hit the state during the mosoon.
Bali said that the HPTDC was suffering losses due to the arrears outstanding to the retired employees since 2016. In the past two-and-a-half years, the HPTDC had paid Rs 35 crore as arrears to its former employees that were outstanding during the tenure of the previous BJP government. The HPTDC has been in losses and its arrears have mounted during the Covid lockdown period, he added.
Bali countered Pathania’s allegations and said that when the latter was the corporation Chairman, it was running in losses, as per the record. He added that the corporation registered yearly profit only during the Congress rule from 2004 to 2006 and 2014 to 2016.
Bali said the Himachal Bhawan was not a property of the HPTDC and belonged to the government. None of the government properties, including hotels, would be put on sale, he added.
Contradictory claims
The government is planning to put HPTDC properties on sale, says BJP’s former minister Rakesh Pathania
HPTDC properties registered highest sales since their inception in the past two years, says RS Bali
