Times
of India: Shimla: Wednesday, 17 September 2014.
Fund starved
Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) has failed to recover
Rs 180 lakh outstanding from the VIPs who after availing boarding lodging or
transportation facilities had failed to make the payment. An RTI information
has revealed that many VIPs including MPS and governor have not paid the HPTDC
since long.
RTI Activist
Dev Ashish Bhattacharya on June 5 this year had sought information about MPs,
ex-MPs, MLAs, ex-MLAs besides members and board of directors of HPTDC who had
not cleared their dues. In response to his application, PIO of HPTDC informed
that out of total number of payment defaulters, so many are MPs, ex-MPs, MLAs
and a sitting minister.
RTI documents
shows that former BJP MP Rajan Sushant ows Rs 53,200 since 2009, Chander Kumar,
ex-MP Congress Rs.30,150 since 2005, BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Bimla Kashyap Rs
57,056 since 2010-11 and Suresh Bhardwaj, ex-MP BJP and sitting MLA Rs 6230
since 2006. They all owe the money to HPTDC due to the boarding and lodging
facility being availed by them at Himachal Bhawan, Delhi.
BJP MP Anurag
Thakur ows Rs 1,07,650 to HPTDC since 2010-11 as boarding and lodging charges
in Himachal Sadan Delhi. Same is the case with BJP MP Virender Kashyap who owns
Rs 9350 since 2009-10, BJP's Rajya Sabha MP J P Nadda ows Rs 46,700 since
2012-13 they too had availed the boarding and lodging facilities at Himachal
Sadan Delhi.
Mani Shankar
Aiyyar, Congress MP also failed to pay Rs 11,603 since 1995 for availing
boarding and lodging facility at Himachal Bhawan Delhi. transport minister of
Himachal Pradesh G S Bali also ows Rs 36,403 as the cost of boarding and
lodging at Dharamsala. Kuldeep Kumar, Congress MLA, ows Rs 11,846 for availing
boarding and lodging facility at Peterhoff, Shimla since 2013. Lat Sat Mahajan,
Congress leader, ows Rs 7280 for boarding and lodging charges being availed at
Himachal Bhawan Delhi in 1996.
"Matter
of concern is this that one of the members of the Board of Directors of HPTDC
Surender Sethi also ows Rs 9315 to HPTDC for availing Transport Facilities and
is not bothered to pay back the dues despite the media disclosure
earlier," said Dev Ashish Bhattacharya who obtained the information under
RTI.
He said that
as on December 31, 2013 accumulated debts of HPTDC has risen to 180.37 lakh. He
said that a letter from HPTDC managing director dated February 22, 2014 further
revealed MD has put the entire blame on the Junior officers and did not have
the courage to issue the reminders to these politicians through his hand and
seal. "It is also found from the records provided to me that the reminders
were only issued to Kuldeep Kumar and not to any of the MPs and the transport
minister," he claimed.
He said that
latest information prior to this because of the constant follow up and media
revelations, the payments were realised from Shanta Kumar, Pratibha Singh,
Harsh Mahajan and part payment from GS Bali and Virender Kashyap.
.JPG)
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