Built 15 years ago, Himachal tourist centre a non-starter

Dinesh Kanwar

Hamirpur, February 14

A tourist facilitation centre built at a cost of Rs 35 lakh on the Hamirpur-Bilaspur border in Himachal has been lying in a state of neglect since its construction 15 years ago with the authorities concerned failing to make it operational.

Located at Ukhali village, the complex was to provide wayside facilities to commuters on the Shimla-Dharamsala National Highway. It was to be managed by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), but the corporation didn’t make it operational for several years due to its “unfeasible” location.

The centre has a big dining hall, kitchen, two washrooms and staff accommodation. A small pond and concrete stairs for tourists to sit were also constructed along a ‘nullah’ flowing next to the complex. As the government failed to hire a caretaker, the building is lying in shambles. The hall’s ceiling is now damaged, its windowpanes and doors broken while wild grass has outgrown its tiled entrance and lawns.

Uttam Singh, an Ukhali resident, said the complex was nicely constructed and could have turned into a major stopover. “In the absence of a watchman, it has become a hub for tipplers and drug addicts,” he said.

District Tourism Officer Ravi Dhiman said the HPTDC never operated the complex and leased it to a private operator, who too didn’t turn up. He said the centre was later handed over to the IPH Department.

Dev Raj Chauhan, IPH Executive Engineer, Barsar, said the property was handed over to the department for conversion into an inspection hut. “A proposal for Rs 1 crore for funding was sent to the government, but it was rejected. The complex, thus, couldn’t be put to any use,” he said.