Popular restaurant owner says recurrent traffic jams, poor planning major bottlenecks
DHARAMSHALA: Thinking it would bring great opportunities, a large number of people have made investments in Dharamshala and McLeodganj, but the returns have been unsatisfactory, says Pankaj Chadha, an entrepreneur from McLeodganj.
The owner of Mcllo restaurant in McLeodganj, a landmark destination in the town known for being the residence of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, Chadha highlights the lack of parking space as the main issue facing both of these neighboring townships.
“Poor planning and perennial traffic jams, especially during the tourist season, are major concerns,” Chadha tells S Gopal Puri, Editor of The Newz Radar, Himachal Pradesh’s first and only English digital news network.
The Newz Radar has launched the campaign ‘Vyapari Bachega, Tabhi Pradesh Badhega’ and interviewed Chadha to gain insights on the challenges faced by traders in Himachal Pradesh and potential solutions.
Chadha points out that vehicles moving through the markets have left little space for customers, which is detrimental to businesses.
“The ropeway project was a good initiative, but it hasn’t delivered the expected results. Tourists are avoiding Dharamshala and McLeodganj due to the lack of adequate parking spaces,” he says.
Additionally, Chadha mentions that the high entry taxes on commercial vehicles, particularly buses, are another deterrent. For example, he explains that tourist buses visiting Vaishno Devi could have easily made Dharamshala a stopover, but tour operators avoid entering Himachal Pradesh due to these high taxes.
Chadha urges the Himachal Pradesh government to take a lesson from Uttar Pradesh, which attracted 70 crore visitors during the recently concluded Maha Kumbh.
“Himachal Pradesh has so many scenic and historic places, but the state is unable to fully capitalise on their potential due to poor supportive policies,” he adds.
S Gopal Puri
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