Tourism Dept building in Andretta cries for attention

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, April 17

A tourism building on the Andretta-Panchrukhi road in Kangra district has been lying unused. Bushes and wild growth have taken over the building having about 15 rooms owing to its utter neglect by the Tourism Department.

Sources said the building initially belonged to Col NS Nijjar, who donated it to MD Rohtak University in 1987. The university wanted to create a holiday home in the building but could not maintain it. Later, it was handed over to the Deputy Commissioner, Kangra.

The district administration of Kangra initially proposed to set up an art and crafts institute in the building but later handed it over to the Tourism Department. As the building was handed over to the Tourism Department, no repair and maintenance of the building has been done.

Residents of Andretta and Panchrukhi wanted the Tourism Department to refurbish the building.

Satish Sharma, a resident of Panchrukhi area, says thousands to tourists come to Andretta area to visit Sardar Sobha Singh Art Gallery. There is no hotel or residency in the area where the tourists can stay. The Tourism Department has such a huge property lying with it. The department should convert the building into a hotel so that the tourists visiting the Sobha Singh Art Gallery can stay there. It will help improve the economy of the area, he adds.

Dinesh Thakur, another resident of the area, says the government has proposed residential facilities in Kangra district to make it a tourism hub. However, the department has not been able to maintain the existing buildings, he said.

The North Zone Culture Centre had proposed to set up its sub centre in the building of the Tourism Department.