KP government to transfer management of rest houses to tourism department

The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is going to hand over the management of all rest houses and tourism properties to Tourism Department to promote tourism and attract domestic and foreign tourists by providing them quality standards in hospitality sector.

The Act may be called KP Government Rest Houses and Tourism Properties (Development, Management and Regulation) Act, 2020 is also aimed to generate maximum revenue to be spent for the development and enrichment of tourism industry in province.

Under the law, all Rest Houses, Inspection Bungalows, Dak Bungalows, Circuit Houses, Inspection Huts and other such properties by whatever name described and include Local Government Rest Houses would be taken over by the Tourism Department.

In case of outsourcing, the party to whom such property has been outsourced may, alter, modify and make other necessary changes in the Government Rest Houses or a set of Rest Houses and in the tourism properties with prior approval of the respective department

All movable and immovable assets including furniture, fixtures, equipment, vehicles, record, data etc and all other liabilities, rights and interests arising out of such Government Rest House or a set of Rest Houses and Tourism Properties shall stand transferred along its ownership to the respective department. Upon taking over by the respective department, all the employees of a Government Rest House or a set of Rest Houses would remain at the strength of their parent department. They would continue to hold their respective positions and their terms and conditions of services and other matters relating thereto would not be affected, till the outsourcing of such Government Rest House.

All the employees of such Government Rest House, except Local Government Rest Houses, or a set of Rest Houses would report back to their respective parent department as the services of the employees of the Local Government Rest House would be settled as per mutual consent of the lessee, employees concerned and their respective department.

However, the services of all the employees of Tourism Properties would be determined in accordance with the decision of their respective board of directors. If any difficulty arises in giving effect to any of the provision of this Act, government may constitute an Inter-Departmental Committee or committees, to be headed by the Chief Secretary, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and be assisted by such number of members as government may determine: Provided that government would exercise such powers for a period of two years, after the commencement of this Act. The committee so constituted may complete its recommendations in the period not later than six months.

The government may make rules to carry out the purposes of the Act. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings would lie against government and authority subordinate to government, or a member of the committee in respect of anything which is done in good faith or intended to be done under this Act.

On the issuance of the notification under sub-section (1) of Section 3 of this Act, all legal instruments, notifications and executive orders etc, issued by Communication and Works Department, Local Government and Rural Development Department, Environment and Wildlife Department, Irrigation Department and Police Department would stand repealed to the extent of administration and control of Government Rest Houses or a set of Rest Houses and tourism properties.