GTA leases out tourist properties in Sandakphu-Phalat area
Lack of revenue, repair costs cited as reasons for move
Due to their inability to bring in a sufficient amount of money, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) leased nine tourist properties in the Sandakphu-Phalat area to private parties.
Near the Himalayan Trail, the nine properties are primarily lodges and trekking shelters.
"We just surveyed all nine of these properties, and it was projected that the repairs alone would cost us almost Rs 6.72 crore. According to Noran Sherpa, the GTA Sabha member in charge of tourism, "the properties have not been generating revenues as desired."
The highest peak in Bengal is Sandakphu, which is located at a height of about 12,000 feet.
The walking track along the open border between India and Nepal is the main attraction in the area. The six to seven day walk often begins and concludes at Maneybhanjyang, which is about 24 kilometers from Darjeeling. It can also end in Rimbick.
Additionally, 4X4 vehicles can be used to reach Sandakphu and Phalut, which are 21 kilometers distant.
"The influx of foreign tourists had stopped following the Covid-19 outbreak. A travel agent stated, "They began arriving at a faster pace last month.
The Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), which was superseded by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) in 2012, was responsible for constructing the majority of the tourist lodges.
There are 26 tourism properties covered by the GTA as of right now. We're looking into their financial situation," Sherpa stated, making a suggestion that additional assets might potentially be rented to private homes.
However, a portion in the hills said that the GTA had rented out the nine properties to people with no prior business expertise.
"People in the GTA who live close to the power corridors are renting these properties," a local stated.
The claim was refuted by Sherpa.
The highest bids won the property to run it, according to an online tender that we had kept a base value for each property, according to Sherpa.
He also said that a committee appointed by the GTA had managed the vacation rental process and made a determination about its viability.
In the hills, tourism is a major driver of the local economy. Nonetheless, there are grievances that numerous tourist destinations have not been well maintained.
A travel agency stated, "Due to the bad state of the roads, several taxi operators have stopped taking tourists to Rock Garden and Gangamaya Park." "Many of the sites are messy."
