Dharamshala, Dec 14 (PTI) Opposition Congress staged a walkout from the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday as it was not allowed to raise an issue of leasing out some properties of the tourism department to private players.

Raising slogans against the government over the issue during Question Hour in the ongoing winter session held at Tapovan in Dharamshala, the Congress legislators came into the well of the House before staging a walkout.

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Reacting to the allegations, Jal Shakti Minister Mahender Singh Thakur said the previous Congress dispensation had sold several government properties including Wildflower.

He said the present BJP government is not selling any government property but leasing out them.

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The government has decided to lease out some properties of the tourism department for the benefit of the state and the department, he added.

The minister said that Convention Centre Mandi is being leased out for 10 years, Tourist Cultural Centre at Janjehli in Mandi for 15 years, Centre for Traditional Arts and Crafts at Badagran near Manali for 16 years and Convention Centre at Kiarighat in Solan district for 10 years.

Convention Centre Mandi is being leased out for Rs 25 lakh per annum, Tourist Cultural Centre at Janjehli in Mandi for Rs 17.52 lakh per annum and Centre for Traditional Arts and Crafts at Badagran near Manali for Rs 1.5 crore per annum with a hike of five percent amount every year, he informed the House.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)