Hope for budget hotel near railway station revives

CHANDIGARH: The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) was to construct a budget hotel near Chandigarh Railway Station to facilitate boarding and lodging arrangements for passengers. Land was also inspected for the purpose. However, the Haryana government has expressed its inability to acquire land for the hotel. IRCTC officials approached the railways asking for land near the railway station but the issue is caught in red-tape.
As of now, there is no hotel near the railway station. As a result, people have to make stay arrangements in far off places. Under the circumstances, it was proposed that the hotel would be constructed on land provided by the Haryana government on leasehold basis. The IRCTC was to construct, operate and manage the hotel, which was supposed to have around 400 beds with dormitories, double and single room beds. According to the plans, railway passengers would be given preference but others would also be allowed to stay for a higher charge in case there was a problem with the occupancy rate. A round the clock cafeteria and modular kitchen was also included in the plans.
With Pawan Kumar Bansal becoming the railway minister, local businessmen hope that the budget hotel will find a place in the rail budget this year. Businessman Rajesh Gupta of Sector 22 said many of his clients who come to the city, prefer a hotel near the station so that they can board a train easily.
"In the absence of a budget hotel, the common man has no option but to spend the night at the station" said Kamal Thakur, a resident of Sector 37. A senior railway official said talks are on with Haryana, Punjab and UT to provide land for the budget hotel, which would be cleared by the middle of the year.