North News
Shimla, November 26
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has stayed an order that directed the state government to shut down 18 loss-making hotels operated by the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC). The division bench, which reviewed a petition regarding unpaid financial benefits to retired employees, overturned a November 19 single-bench order and allowed the hotels to continue operations until March 31, 2025.
The court also instructed HPTDC to clear pending dues, including arrears, dearness allowance (DA), and gratuity to its pensioners by June 30, 2025. The earlier ruling, issued by the single bench had described the hotels as “white elephants” and criticized the use of public resources for their upkeep, citing the financial strain they posed to the state.
