Shimla, April 23: In a dramatic climbdown, the Himachal Pradesh Government led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday withdrew its controversial notification hiking room rents in Himachal Bhawans in Chandigarh, New Delhi and other state-run facilities, including those in Shimla, following massive public backlash.
The now-shelved order had proposed a steep hike—from ₹1,200 per night to as high as ₹4,000—triggering sharp criticism from common citizens who rely on these accommodations during medical emergencies, official visits and student-related travel. Within hours of the outrage snowballing across the state, the government beat a retreat and restored status quo rates.
However, the rollback came with a curious explanation. According to General Administration Department Deputy Secretary Anil Kumar, the notification was withdrawn due to “technical glitches,” as the revised tariffs could not be uploaded on the booking portal because of software issues. He maintained that a fresh notification with enhanced rates will be issued later.
As per the withdrawn order, select rooms at Himachal Bhawan in New Delhi—Room Nos. 307, 308, 309, 310, 405, 406 and 407—were to be priced at ₹4,000 per night, inclusive of all taxes. Even more puzzling, the government has retained the idea of charging higher tariffs for certain “VIP rooms,” citing better maintenance—despite no visible difference in infrastructure, staff or services.
The explanation has failed to convince many. Citizens and observers are questioning how a major tariff revision was pushed without ensuring backend readiness, only to be rolled back within hours on “technical grounds.” The move has also revived criticism over policy inconsistency, especially since the same government had already raised rents from ₹500 to ₹1,200 just two years ago.
The entire episode has reinforced a growing perception of ad-hoc governance—decisions taken in haste and reversed under pressure—leaving citizens frustrated and raising serious concerns over administrative clarity and accountability.
