CM Sukhu Orders Creation of Online Portal for Home Stay Registration to Boost Tourism Ease and Transparency.
Shimla:
In a significant move aimed at strengthening Himachal Pradesh’s tourism infrastructure and promoting digital governance, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday directed officials to develop an online portal for registration of Home Stay units within ten days. The directive came during a high-level meeting convened to review ongoing tourism projects across the state.
The Chief Minister instructed that tenders be issued immediately for hiring competent software firms to design and implement user-friendly online portals for various government departments, ensuring seamless public access and transparency.
Emphasizing the need for digital payments, CM Sukhu directed that all payments in HPTDC hotels, GAD guesthouses, and departmental rest houses—including food bills—be made online. This, he said, will ensure greater convenience for tourists and accountability in government-run hospitality units.
He further ordered that professional architects be empanelled for designing projects under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Tourism Development Board initiatives, with advertisements for empanelment to be issued within ten days.
“I want to ensure that there are no administrative barriers to the promotion of the tourism industry. The procedures must be simplified to promote ease of doing business,” the Chief Minister stated.
The meeting also reviewed the proposed rules of the Tourism Investment Promotion Council (TIPC), with CM Sukhu suggesting several modifications. It was decided that hotels currently under construction would also be included under the TIPC framework.
CM Sukhu emphasized expediting the operation and maintenance of loss-making HPTDC units to enhance services and attract more visitors.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta, Principal Secretary Devesh Kumar, Director of Tourism Vivek Bhatia, OSD to the Chief Minister Gopal Sharma, and other senior officials.
