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Darjeeling, Dec. 22: Glenarys, Darjeeling`s famous confectioner, has taken 12 trekkers` huts - on the Maneybhangyang-Sandhakphu trek route - and the Swiss cottages overlooking Mirik lake on lease for 10 years.

This move follows the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC)`s call in September, inviting private players to take charge of trekkers` huts and lodges. This is the first time the council has sought private participation. The move, many feel, could work wonders for the tourism industry.

Ajay Edwards, chief executive officer of Glenarys, said: "Ever since I took over the place, the going has been good." Glenarys started running the huts in September.

Edward said the decision of the DGHC to open up its lodges and trekkers' huts to private parties would stimulate growth of the tourism industry.

Apart from the trekkers' huts along popular trek routes, the DGHC has leased out the Swiss cottages overlooking the Mirik lake.

D.T. Tamlong, principal secretary of the DGHC, said: `We have leased out the huts on an experimental basis. We cannot say at the moment whether we will lease out other places also. The decision to rope in private parties has, however, allowed us to concentrate on other development work.`

The decision would also help the DGHC tide over the financial crunch it is going through.

Most of the people employed to look after the huts and cottages were recruited by the DGHC on contract. The hill council paid the wages of the employees from its budget.

The government does not allot funds separately for employing caretakers of the lodges.

Tamlong said the DGHC was coming up with more such cottages in various tourist destinations to upgrade the infrastructure.

A 21-room cottage at Jorepokhari, around 15 km from the town, is scheduled to open soon. The DGHC also owns similar cottages at Gorubathan, Kafer, Deola and Chitra.

Most of the rest houses built in the tourist destinations have gone a long way in attracting more visitors.

Kafer, near Lava in Kalimpong subdivision, has grown from a sleepy hamlet to one of the most popular tourist sites in the hills in recent times.

Courtesy
The Telegraph