Shimla, September 19
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has dismissed two petitions challenging the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation’s (HPTDC) decision to shift its Corporate Office from Shimla to Dharamshala.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin Chander Negi delivered the judgment on September 16, 2026. The petitions challenged government orders issued in July 2025 proposing to shift the HPTDC Corporate Office from Ritz Annexe, Shimla, to Hotel Kashmir House, Dharamshala.
The HPTDC told the court that the earlier proposal to construct a new corporate office near Hotel Holiday Home in Shimla could not materialise after the Shimla Municipal Corporation raised objections to the building plans. The Town and Country Planning Department subsequently approved only a three-storeyed parking structure at the site.
The court also noted that the Himachal Pradesh government had declared Dharamshala and Kangra as the state’s “Tourism Capital” in April 2025. Following this, the HPTDC Board decided to seek government approval for shifting its head office to its own accommodation in Dharamshala, while retaining its zonal office in Shimla.
The Bench observed that decisions concerning the location of government offices are primarily policy matters. Referring to earlier judicial decisions, it held that the court cannot sit in appeal over the government’s choice of location by comparing the merits of different places.
The court further questioned the maintainability of the petitions, noting that both petitioners were retired HPTDC employees and were no longer in service.
The petitions were accordingly dismissed. The court also directed that the ₹50,000 deposited by each petitioner be distributed equally between the Himachal Pradesh High Court Bar Association and the Himachal Pradesh High Court Staff Welfare Organization.
