JKTDC to start Budshah hotel from June 15

Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, May 26: The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) is all set to start Budshah hotel located in the heart of the city from June 15. Work on the Rs 4 crore project is going on at full swing and the hotel would be reopened after a closure of 26 years.
Talking to Excelsior, Satish Nehru, Managing Director JKTDC said that so far Rs 3 crore have been spent on the construction of the hotel. He said the hotel would have four big halls with a dimension of 20,000 square feet per hall.
“The Budshah hotel would have four big halls and these would be used as food courts. The executing agency has been directed to complete the work on the construction of the hotel in the next three weeks. We are hopeful to reopen the hotel between June 15 and 20. The food courts would provide food facilities to the tourists since Lal Chowk area and the adjoining areas are frequented by the tourists,” said Nehru.
He said that a comprehensive plan has been taken up for upgrading the facilities at the different tourist destinations across the State. He said budget hotels are being constructed by the Corporation at Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Yusmarg and tourist huts at Cheshmashahi, Patnitop and Katra.
“At Sonamarg and Yusmarg we are constructing 20 bed room budget hotels at a cost of Rs 4 crore each. The work on the construction of two 10 bedroom huts at Gulmarg would start once the preliminary formalities are completed. At the same time we are constructing 10 huts at Cheshmashahi in Srinagar,” said Nehru.
The JKTDC MD said that work on the low budget hotels would be completed by July next year adding that this would provide more accommodation options for the tourists visiting the State. He said the Corporation would develop the huts vacated by the security forces at Patnitop.
“Work on five huts vacated at Patnitop by the security forces would start soon and Rs 60 lakhs would be spent on their reconstruction. In addition we are developing and upgrading the infrastructure at Sanasar, Katra and Tourist Reception Centre, Jammu. The tourism infrastructure is being developed at Ducksum, Kokernag, Achabal and Manasbal in Kashmir valley,” said Nehru.
Referring to the reopening of the Lala Rukh hotel in the Lal Chowk area, Nehru said that out of the 46 rooms available at the hotel 36 rooms have been rented out to Estates department as accommodation for the Durbar Move employees.
“The response of the tourists towards Lala Rukh hotel has been exemplary and we are adding 16 rooms to the existing infrastructure. The rooms are available to the tourists at cheap rates and the facilities being offered to them are wonderful. The hotel also has facilities of a seminar hall and dormitories,” said Nehru.
He said that the revenue receipts have shot up from Rs. 19. 60 crore to Rs. 33 crore during the previous two years. He said the employees of the corporation have been given benefits under the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations adding that they are being paid 35 percent DA.
Meanwhile, Minister for Tourism and Culture Nawang Rigzin Jora took a stock of the work on Budshah Hotel. The Minister was told that the hotel will be made operational in June after a gap of 26 years with all latest facilities for the tourists.
Jora was informed that the traditional look of the hotel has being restored by using local material which included wooden Deodar columns, with lattice work of traditional pattern, Khatamband ceiling and local brick work. He directed the executing agencies to redouble efforts, accelerate pace of progress on the project and complete the same by June 15.

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