Iconic ‘Floating Restaurant’ to Ludhiana’s Hotel Amaltas: 7 prime Punjab tourism properties move into private hands for ‘revival’

Hotel Amaltas, Ludhiana. (Express photo: Gurmeet Singh)

One of the city’s oldest hotels, which once bustled with customers, and known as “oasis of peace” due to its scenic location and lush greenery, Hotel Amaltas has remained shut since 2009. Opened in 1970s, it was once one of the most profitable ventures of Punjab Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC). However, the hotel turned into ruins after private hotels mushroomed across Ludhiana. It has now been handed over to M/S Amsons Contractors for “revival” and the “renovation work” has already begun.

The Floating Restaurant in Sirhind area of Fatehgarh Sahib — one of its kind eatery which ‘floats’ on the waters of Bhakra main line (also known as Sirhind Canal) — also suffered gradual decay and has been lying shut since over a decade. Considered an engineering marvel, the restaurant structure rests on five massive cylinders tied together to withstand the pressure of Bhakra waters. It has now been leased out to M/S Amar Food Plaza for revival.

The Aam Khas Bagh in Sirhind is a massive Mughal-era garden complex that served as a luxurious highway resort for the royalty traveling between Delhi and Lahore, with hundreds of mango trees in its orchards. The Darbar Hall in Kapurthala is a heritage property known for its magnificent architecture, that served as the royal court where Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, the last ruler of Kapurthala princely state, held public audiences and state ceremonies.

The Pinkcassia Tourist Complex in Ropar was also once popular, government-run resort known for its picturesque location on the banks of the Sutlej river, next to Ropar wetland, where people used to enjoy boating but it too remains shut.

Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari, director, Punjab tourism, said that the “decision to lease out the seven properties to private entities has been taken to revive the dead projects.”

“Also, our ‘Ran-Baas’ project in Patiala, where we converted a royal property in Qila Mubarak Palace into a boutique heritage hotel, has been very successful. So we plan to revive other properties too on same lines by leasing it out to private entities,” said Tiwari.

He said that Hotel Amaltas and Floating Restaurant “have been leased out to private firms on license basis for 15 years” at the rate of “Rs 3 to 5 lakh per month each, which comes to an average of Rs 60 lakh per year.”

“The condition of both properties was quite bad. The private firms will be renovating them at their own expense. They have already started the work on these two properties while five others are in pipeline for approval,” said Tiwari.