NEW DELHI: The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has been directed to upgrade its holiday homes and guest houses in the southern states of Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to three-star standards. The move is aimed at improving accommodation at the government-run facilities. The department has also been asked to submit a report detailing the action taken on the directions.
According to the official communication accessed by this newspaper, the development has come after the directions from the office of the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (H&UA) Tokhan Sahu, who recently visited the four states.
The CPWD has also been directed to upgrade public toilets in its service buildings. The communication states that the toilets are to be maintained with a “neat and clean appearance”, with IoT (Internet of Things)-based devices to be deployed for close and active monitoring of cleanliness.
“During the recent official visits of the minister of state (H&UA) to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala, directions were issued for immediate implementation. All CPWD holiday homes and guest houses should be upgraded up to 3-star facility standards. All public toilets in service buildings should be upgraded to a neat and clean appearance; for close and active monitoring of cleanliness IoT-based monitoring devices should be used,” read the missive from the minister's office to the CPWD.
IoT-based public toilet monitoring devices are smart sensor networks installed in restrooms to track usage, cleanliness, and supply levels in real time and they send data to a central dashboard.
The directions have been circulated to senior CPWD officials, including the Special Director General (SDG) in Chennai and Additional Director Generals (ADGs) in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi.
In February, the CPWD asked its field offices to submit detailed schematic plans, budget proposals and financial estimates for the modernisation and upgradation of Government’s ageing holiday homes and Touring Officers’ Hostels (TOHs), which require immediate attention.
The development follows a set of pointed queries by the Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs of Lok Sabha, which sought a comprehensive response from the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) regarding budgetary allocations and funding mechanisms for the upkeep of the properties.
The officials were also asked to assess the condition of existing facilities and prepare comprehensive proposals outlining the scope of renovation and estimated costs.
Subsequently in April, the Department initiated measures to improve the upkeep and maintenance of the properties. The efforts were placed on standardising facilities, amenities, and service quality across these acommodations. To ensure consistency in maintenance, the department has developed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) specifically for cleaning and housekeeping services.
The CPWD has also sought comment and suggestion from all field offices involved in maintenance of officers hostels and guest houses, which includes the scope of work and schedule of procedure of housekeeping services; cleaning and supervisory duties.
Around 70 holiday homes, hostels and guest houses are located at prominent tourist destinations across states including Delhi, Chandigarh, Port Blair, Bengaluru, Gandhi Nagar, Kozhikode, Varanasi, Mumbai, Gangtok and Kanyakumari. These are properties, primarily meant for government officials during official visits or personal stays, are administered by the Directorate of Estates (DoE) and maintained by the CPWD. Both the agencies function under the ministry.