Himachal govt retracts on HPTDC hotels move, Oppn stages walk-out
Shimla: The opposition Congress on Tuesday staged a walkout from the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on the BJP government 's questionable move to disinvestment 16 landmark
Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) hotels.
The Congress MLAs earlier created a ruckus in the House alleging 'sell-out' of the Himachal Pradesh interests under the garb of upcoming 'Global Investors meet'.
The issue was raised in the Assembly by Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri, who had moved an adjournment motion to discuss the issue in the wake of state government uploading a document on its official website last week, which later was
quickly deleted when it came to Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur's notice.
Though the Chief Minister admitted a mistake in uploading such a document before same was cleared by the state cabinet or himself, said an inquiry has already been ordered into the flip-flop committed by certain people.
He said the government had prepared a list of HPTDC units running in loss for their proper management and this list was wrongly uploaded on the website, which was later removed when it came to its notice.
"I have ordered an inquiry headed by Chief Secretary. The reports will come within three days. Guilty will be punished," he declared, which, however, did not pacify enraged opposition MLAs.
Agnihotri rejected Chief Minister's clarification and went ahead with sloganeering and protests in the House, which was also countered by the ruling benches creating din in the House.
Making his point, Agnihotri said, "The list was not wrongly uploaded. It was very much planned exercise. Even the rates of the properties were mentioned on the website and some interested parties have also applied for getting these hotels on lease."
Thakur, in an effort to pacify the opposition, said the question of selling-out any government property does not arise. It was, in fact, the earlier Congress government which sold-out world-famous heritage Wild Flower Hall on a platter. This was a prime
property of HPTDC, built during the British times. Not a single penny has been received from this after deal with struck in 1995," reminded.
He also claimed that state cabinet during the Congress government had also decided to amend Section 6 A and 7 A of HP Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1972 to allow change of land use for the tea gardens land for tourism purposes. But, his government on return to power did not implement this decision as was against the state's interests.
