Gustakhi Maaf Haryana: Pawan Kumar Bansal
Haryana Tourism Should Learn from Madhya Pradesh Tourism's Best Practices
Gustakhi Maaf Haryana : Pawan Kumar Bansal
Haryana Tourism Should Learn from Madhya Pradesh Tourism’s Best Practices: By Dr. Ranbir Singh Phaugat, Eminent Researcher
Haryana Tourism has much to learn from the functioning of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Corporation, which has been successful in providing both excellent hospitality and viable economic models for its tourism complexes. The statement comes from renowned researcher Dr. Ranbir Singh Phaugat, who criticized the current state of Haryana Tourism under its successive governments.
Phaugat highlighted the case of Mr. Saroha, whom he believes is a victim of vengeance. He emphasized that Haryana does not need private agencies to run its resorts. The original purpose of setting up resorts by Haryana Tourism was to promote the mental and physical well-being of the local population and offer affordable facilities for highway travelers. However, this mandate has been diluted over time, especially after the tenure of Chaudhary Bansi Lal, the former Chief Minister of Haryana.
According to Phaugat, giving public-owned tourism facilities on lease to private players has often led to giving undue advantages to these private entities. Meanwhile, the Haryana Tourism Department has failed to focus on improving the service conditions of its employees and has not paid sufficient attention to making the tourism complexes financially viable. As a result, many resorts have been running at a deficit, and maintenance has been neglected, making several complexes economically unfeasible.
Phaugat further criticized the lack of transparency, stating that audit reports and the status of service conditions of employees were never made public. He suggested that the Economic Affairs Committee of the Department of Finance should have conducted an expert review of all tourism complexes to assess their strengths and weaknesses and find ways to improve their operations.
He also pointed out that Haryana Tourism could learn a lot from the success of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Corporation, citing his personal experiences with its hospitality. Regarding the Gurugram Country Club, Phaugat emphasized the need for an audit and a thorough review report before any further action could be taken on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) concerning the facility.