Asks Corporation to Name Government Departments, Private Institutions Yet to Clear Payments

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has taken a strict stance on the issue of long-pending dues owed to the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC). The court, led by Justice Sandeep Sharma, has directed the Managing Director of the corporation to file a detailed affidavit within a week, clearly listing the names of all defaulting government departments and private institutions.

The directive was issued during the hearing of the case Jai Kishan Mehta vs HPTDC. The court observed that despite repeated notices, several departments and private entities have failed to clear their dues, amounting to crores of rupees. The judge emphasised the need for transparency in the matter and said that the affidavit must clearly state the outstanding amount to be recovered from each government department, as well as the number of private institutions that are yet to pay.

The court made it clear that continued non-payment cannot be tolerated and that naming the defaulters is necessary to ensure accountability. The matter will now be taken up for further hearing on July 9.

The HPTDC, a government-owned entity responsible for promoting tourism in Himachal Pradesh through its hotels and services, has been struggling with delayed payments, which has affected its financial operations.

This court order is expected to put pressure on the defaulters and help the tourism corporation recover its dues in a time-bound manner.