Department of Tourism & Civil Aviation, Himachal Pradesh

Information under section 4 (1) b of RTI Act 2005

Department of Tourism & Civil Aviation,
Himachal Pradesh

The Department of Tourism & Civil Aviation, HP, is the nodal agency that plays a pro-active role in the promotion of tourism in the State. This is done through a wide range of literature and publicity material, participation in national and international fairs / meet, by creating / upgrading infrastructure and transport amenities in the tourist places / destinations and by creating new tourist products in the State. This is also being done through public private participation. The Department also plays regulatory role under the H.P. Tourism Development and Registration Act, 2002.

The Department of Tourism is a Government department and the following functions / duties have been allocated by the Government as per the business of the Government of H.P. allocation rules-1971:-

1. Development and Promotion of Tourism.
2. State and District Tourist Advisory Committee.
3. Tourist Services – Supply of information, Development / Reservation of accommodation and development of civic amenities.
4. Hotel legislation.
5. Construction / Maintenance of the tourist accommodation.
6. Promotion of sports such as winter sports, golf, adventure sports etc.
7. Registration of Tourism units.
8. Matters relating to shooting of films in Himachal Pradesh.
9. Establishment, budget and accounts matters.
10. Civil Aviation.
11. Development of lakes in Himachal Pradesh.

A).Commissioner / Director Tourism: – Commissioner / Director Tourism is the head of the Department. Being Head of the Department, exercises general superintendence and control over all the officers / officials of the Department. He is responsible to carry out the functions of the Department. For this purpose he exercises powers as conferred / vested by the Act and various Rules including the services & Financial Rules. He also exercises functional powers delegated to him by the Govt. from time to time.

B) Addl. /Joint Director Administration: – The following jobs are assigned to him:

1. Establishment.
2. Audit and PAC/CAG matters.
3. Stipend, Grant-in-aid to HPTDC.
4. Stores and purchases.
5. Civil Aviation matters including expansion of airstrips.
6. Tourist Complaints
7. Vehicles.
8. Inspection of offices of District Tourism Development Offices.
9. Implementation of H.P. Tourism Development & Registration Act / Rules.
10. Home Stay Scheme / Guidelines.
11. Budget and Planning ; Budget Assurances; Vidhan Sabha matters, Training.
12. Tourist Information Centres.

C) Additional Director: The following jobs are assigned:

1. Publicity, Advertisements, fairs and festivals, grant in aid, Exhibitions, Souvenirs.
2. Works (State and Centrally Sponsored Schemes).
3. Hospitality.
4. Incentives, subsidy and Hotel Projects
5. Adventure Tourism
6. Public Private Partnership projects.
7. Food Craft Institute, Dharamshala and Institute of Hotel Management, Kufri and Hamirpur.
8. Project approval cases.
9. Issuing of Essentiality Certificate.
10. Statistics.

D) Publicity Officer:

Entire publicity work regarding preparation of promotional publicity material i.e. printing of brochures, folders, posters, post cards, calendars, Monal and promotional films etc. and releasing of the advertisements in print media i.e. in newspapers / magazines; in outdoor media and through electronic media etc.. and participation in fairs & festivals, exhibitions etc. In addition RTI matters as Public Information Officer and Nodal Officer for website.

E) Dy. Director / District Tourism Dev. Officers (DTDO’s): The Department has eight posts of District Tourism Development Officer / Dy. Director, Tourism & Civil Aviation at Shimla, Solan, Mandi, Kullu Dharamshala (Kangra), Kinnaur at Reckong Peo, Lahaul at Keylong and Spiti at Kaza.
The Department has six posts of Assistant Tourism Development Officer (ATDO) i.e one each at Directorate of Tourism at Shimla and at Chamba, Dharamshala (Kangra), Solan, Shimla and Kullu.

a. Regulatory Works: To implement the H.P. Tourism Development and Registration Act-2002 i.e. Registration of Hotels / Guest Houses/ Restaurants, Travel Agencies, Tourist Guides, Photographers and camping sites and inspection and compounding of the offences under the said Act / Rules.

b. Development Works: To undertake and implement the developmental works of State / Centrally Sponsored schemes.

c. Trainings: To Impart the adventure sports / other trainings such as water sports / Rafting, trekking, Human Resource Development, and training to unemployed youths in Tourist Guides, Home stay owners, Dhaba owners/ workers etc.

d. Participation in Fair and Festivals: Department has been regularly participating in the fairs and festivals within and outside the State for wide publicity. The Dy. Director’s / DTDO’s organize cultural programmes / other functions to attract more and more tourists to the State.

e) Superintendent (Gr- I and Gr-II): One post of Superintendent Gr-I (being filled up) at Directorate of Tourism at Shimla and five posts of Superintendent Gr-II i.e. One each in Directorate and in the offices of DTDO Chamba, Shimla, Kullu, and Kangra at Dharamshala.

f) Private Secretary: One in the Directorate of Tourism at Shimla.

g) Inspector Hotels: The Department has 10 posts of Hotel Inspectors out of which four posts filled up and six are vacant. Carry out the inspection of the tourism units in the accordance with the powers conferred in H.P. Tourism Development of Registration Act-2002 and process the cases for registration of tourism unit, revision of rates of units, challaning of units running without registration and filling cases before the Hon’ble Court.

h) Tourist Information Officers (TIOs): The Department has fourteen posts of T.I.O.’s in which eleven posts are filled up (including four outsource basis TIO’s) and three posts are vacant. The Department has established the Tourist Information Centre’s within and out side the State to facilitate the tourists visiting to the state. In all there are 10 TICs viz. Victory Tunnel Shimla, Railway Station Shimla, Bypass Shimla, Kullu, Manali, Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Reckong Peo, Solan and Chennai.

i) Sr. Assistants: The Department has eleven posts of Senior Assistants. Seven sr. Assistants are at the Head Quarter; they have been assigned the various jobs such as works, Publilcity, Planning & Development, Budget, Civil Aviation, Audit, PAC / CAG matters. Vidhan Sabha matters, Establishment and Store etc. Four Sr. Assistants are deployed in the office of Dy. Director’s / DTDOs to deal with the subjects pertaining to Dy. Director / DTDO offices.

j) Asst. Research Officer: One post at headquarter: To collect and compile data relating to Tourists arrivals, employment generation including preparation of Hotel Directory.

k) Jr. Assistant cum Clerks: The Department has twenty nine posts of Jr. Assistants & clerks. Eleven Jr. Assistants & clerks are working in the head quarter including contract basis clerks; nine in the offices of Dy. Director’s / DTDOs and nine posts of clerks are vacant.

l) Jr. Scale Stenographer & Steno Typist: One post of Jr. Scale Stenographer at Directorate of Tourism at Shimla and one post of Steno Typist at District Tourism Office Kangra at Dharamshala.

m) Clerk cum Data Operator: One at Directorate of Tourism at Shimla and 6 data operators in the field offices of the Department.

n) Drivers: The Department has seven posts of Drivers. Three posts of drivers are at head quarter and four posts of drivers in the field offices of the Department.

o) Peons: The Department has twenty eight posts of Peon’s / Chowkidar / sweeper. Nine posts in Head office including three vacant and twelve posts in the field offices of the Department and Tourist Information Centres.

The Head of the Department i.e. Commissioner / Director is the decision making authority as per the powers delegated by the Government. The Dealing Assistants / Jr. Assistant / Clerks deals the subjects assigned to them and they further put up the same to Branch officers as per allocation of subjects given above. Some cases after scrutiny are disposed off by the Addl. Director / Joint Director at their own level. Cases on which the decision of the Commissioner / Director is required are presented to him.

The functions are discharged as per the norms set by the Government in accordance with the office manual and instructions issued from time to time by the Government. The Department has assigned the jobs to the all Dealing Assistants / Clerks as mentioned above.

1. H. P.Tourism Development & Registration Act, 2002.
2. H.P.Tourism Development & Registration of Tourism Trade Rules, 2012.
3. H.P. Aero Sports Rules, 2004.
4. H.P. River Rafting Rules, 2005.
5. HP Miscellaneous Adventure Activities Rules, 2017
6. Rules for grant of Incentives to Tourism Industry for SC / ST Categories in Himachal Pradesh, 2000.
7. Rules for grant of stipend to private candidates for training in Hotel management & catering 1987.
8. Recruitment & promotion Rules of different categories of the Department.
9. Himachal Pradesh Home Stay Scheme-2008.

The Department has under its control the documents which are un-classified / un-categorized and also documents mentioned u/s 8 of the Right to Information Act.

Particulars of any arrangement that exists for consultation with or representation by the members of the public in relation to the formulation of its policy or administration thereof.

The State Govt. has constituted Tourism Development Board for State level and Tourism Development Councils for specific areas i.e. Tourism Councils for Kufri-Naldehra, Manali, Dalhousie-Khajjiar, and Dharamshala-Mcleodganj. There is provision of nomination of non-officials members.

In accordance with the H.P. Tourism Development and Registration Act-2002, a Tourism Board under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble Chief Minister has been constituted vide notification No. Tsm-A(3)-1/2002- dated 24.11.2003. The Board shall consist of following members:

Director (Tourism), H.P. Ex-Officio Member Secretary

Besides, Tourism Develoment Council for Manali, Distt. Kullu, H.P. has also been constituted vide notification No. Tsm.-F(3)-2/2003-I dated 7.7.2004

Apart from the function provided in the Act, the Council shall also look after the collection of entry fee from the vehicles bearing registration numbers other than the State of H.P. issued vide notification of even number dated 29.5.2004.

Note: The minutes of the Board / Councils are accessible for public.

The budget to the field agencies i.e. District Tourism Development Offices have been allocated as per the requirement.

The Department has no such scheme to provide concessions and authorization etc. However, the Department is issuing permission for shooting of Films in Himachal Pradesh.

The Department of Tourism has its own website and information about the department has been published on it for facilitation to the tourists as well as general public through electronic media. Web Site: www.himachaltourism.gov.in

At present the Department has not set up any library. However, the department has appointed Publicity Officer as Nodal Officer to provide information to the visiting tourists and general public. In addition, the department has also DTDO offices / Information Centers within and outside the State from where the departmental information can be obtained.

Other information relating to this Department may be provided as and when required by the public.