The wooden staircase needs repair at Taptapani; Termites have damaged the wooden floor at the Panthanivas
Monalisa Patasani, OP
Bhubaneswar, July 19:Holidays are no doubt a splinter of light at the end of the dark tunnel of a stressful life. And, it’s not just the picturesque nature alone that can help you make memories of a happy and blissful holiday. Besides those soothing hours of basking in the sun or sand, you also spend some quality time with your loved ones in resorts, hotels or homestays. But, what if the guest house or the resort has crumbling walls, broken stairs, damaged ceilings and bathrooms with peeling paints and ugly spots? These are the perfect recipes for a holiday spoiler. Unfortunately, the story is same for the government-run guest houses or Panthanivas in some key tourist destinations in the state. If sources are to be believed, government has turned a blind eye to these guest houses. These are lying in appalling conditions.
There are around 21 Panthanivas in the prominent tourist destinations. Most of these lack proper maintenance. Sources revealed to Orissa POST that tourists reject the idea of staying in these guest houses due to their poor and shabby condition. Panthanivas is the only place, where tourists can stay at Taptapani. But, it is lying in a dilapidated condition. The three log house has developed cracks at several places and termites have damaged the
wooden floor. “The Panthanivas is also crying for the attention of OTDC authorities. The building has developed cracks all over; the bathrooms are not in good conditions causing water leakage. Dogs are found sleeping inside the Panthanivas of Bhubaneswar,” sources said. “Funds worth rupees two crore were sanctioned in 2016 for the renovations and maintenance of the 21 Panthanivas in the state. But due to lack of interest among the official of Orissa Tourism
Development Corporation (OTDC) they failed to utilise the sanctioned amount on time. It is still not used. Similarly this year also around Rs 2 crore has been sanctioned to the department and it is yet to be utilized,” sources claimed.