Himachal BJP accuses Congress govt of selling tourism hotels, seeks answers over re-tendering of property on Shimla-Solan highway

TNR News Network
Dharamshala:
The opposition BJP has accused the Himachal Pradesh government of selling state-owned tourism department properties to private entities under questionable circumstances.

Addressing a press conference in Dharamshala, BJP state spokesperson Sanjay Sharma launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri, accusing them of “putting Himachal up for sale”.

Sanjay Sharma, joined by BJP state media co-in-charge advocate Vishav Chakshu, alleged that efforts were being made to benefit close associates of the ruling party by bypassing due processes in the allocation of government-run hotels under the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC).

He questioned the recent move to hand over hotels to privatise hands, including Hotel Meghdoot Project (formerly Apple Cart Inn) located at Kyari Bangla on the Shimla-Solan highway. The property, originally inaugurated by former CM Jai Ram Thakur and whose foundation was laid by the late Virbhadra Singh, was developed with public funds under the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-supported Bharat Darshan scheme, and yet is now reportedly being handed over to a private firm.

Controversy over old bids and lack of transparency

The BJP spokesperson raised concerns over the use of an old tender submitted by a Delhi-based consultancy firm in 2021, which had initially offered Rs 1.5 crore for the hotel project but was rejected at the time. The same firm reportedly submitted a “revised bid” of Rs 2.5 crore in 2025, which the government is now allegedly considering — without inviting fresh bids.

“Why weren’t new tenders floated? On what basis is the 2021 bid being revised and accepted now? This reeks of corruption and favoritism,” said Sharma. He demanded that the government come clean on the process and explain the basis of hotel projects being developed in Nadaun (Rs 50 crore) and Dehra.

Highlighting Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri’s past statements when he was the Leader of the Opposition, where he used the phrase “Himachal for sale” to criticise the previous BJP government, Sanjay Sharma said, “It is ironic that the same leaders are now overseeing the sell-off of public assets while putting pressure on the public through economic burdens. The Congress must explain its double standards.”

He also criticised the government’s decision to convert Kashmir House, once a well-performing hotel, into the office of the tourism department, calling it a misuse of infrastructure meant to generate revenue through tourism.

Accountability demanded into use of CUHP funds

The BJP leaders further alleged that the state government failed to deposit Rs 30 crore required for the establishment of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) in Dharamshala. As a result, Rs 250 crore in central funds remains unutilised.

Demanding accountability, Sanjay Sharma said, “The Chief Minister and the Deputy CM owe the people of Himachal an explanation. They must answer whether the state’s interests are being protected or sold off under the guise of development.”