Shimla, May 6,
The Himachal Pradesh Government has announced that rooms in Public Works Department (PWD) Rest Houses across the state will now be available for online booking. The decision, taken in public interest, is effective immediately.
Take Free HimachalScape Subscription Complete this form
Choose Your Membership
According to an official notification issued by Dr. Abhishek Jain, Secretary (Public Works) to the Government of Himachal Pradesh, 25 rooms in each HPPWD Rest House will be made available for booking through an online portal. However, one VIP room in each rest house will remain reserved and will not be available for online booking.
The move is expected to streamline the allocation process and ensure a fair, first-come-first-serve basis for all bookings. As per the directive, 50 oer cent of the advance payment for the rooms would be made online at the time of booking. The system will automatically confirm the bookings in real-time.
While the government states that the decision has been taken in public interest, sources suggest that the move may also be driven by a push to augment departmental revenues. By opening up a majority of the rooms to online booking and reducing discretionary allotments, the department is likely to witness an increase in occupancy and transparency.
PWD Rest Houses, which are spread across picturesque and strategic locations in Himachal Pradesh, have long been used primarily for official purposes. However, over the years, there has been increasing demand from the public and tourists to access these facilities. The latest move is likely to cater to this demand while simultaneously reducing scope for misuse and favoritism in room allotments.
With the introduction of online booking, the Himachal Government has taken a step toward digital governance and citizen convenience. The success of the initiative will depend on the efficiency of the portal and the transparency maintained in bookings.
The public can now log on to the PWD portal to make bookings, subject to availability, under the new guidelines.
