The two outlets – Baithak at Kalagram and CITCO’s Drop In at Sector 34 — wear a deserted look. Baithak is non-functional since November 2016, while the Sector-34 outlet is defunct for the past four months.

With Rs 80 lakh loss in the past year and two of its outlets vacant, Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation (CITCO) board of directors stressed upon the new management to re-tender the two joints again.

The board of directors took serious note of the lackadaisical approach by the concerned authorities of CITCO at a meeting held on Wednesday, under the chairmanship of UT home secretary Anurag Aggarwal.

The two outlets – Baithak at Kalagram and CITCO’s Drop In at Sector 34 — are wearing a deserted look. Baithak is non-functional since November 2016, while Sector-34 outlet is defunct for the past four months. CITCO is which already bleeding with losses and the downward spiral could continue for some time.

YK Mahajan, board of directors member, took up the issue of Baithak and said the tenders should be floated immediately. Mahajan opined that open space near Baithak should be given for social functions.

The members asked Uma Shanker Gupta, chief general manager, CITCO, to make a proposal for both the outlets and submit it at the earliest.

One of the members apprised that the infrastructure worth crores at both the outlets is getting deteriorated. As per information, Baithak, a Punjabi style restaurant, was shut in November last year as the firm Sunrise Integrated Facility Private Limited, which had taken the restaurant on ₹6.05 lakh rent could not manage it properly as it did not have requisite experience and expertise in food and beverages. The firm left.

CITCO is not being able to get good offer due to dilapidated conditions at Baithak. Even the air-conditioner banquet hall at Baithak, which provided good opportunity to residents of city at a reasonable price, is closed.

Similarly, Drop In could not get offers due to untimely decision of the management. Started in 2002, the outlet few years back had earned lot of reputation as it used to serve coffee products.

Appointing secretary to MD rejected

The board of directors of CITCO on Wednesday rejected the agenda for the creation of post of secretary to the managing director (MD). The members said there is no need for this post. On this, Bansi Lal Sharma, MD, said in the meeting that the agenda has been placed after he got representation from Ganesh Dutt Sharma, who is working as private secretary to MD, and was vying for the said post.

BLURB At its board of directors meeting, members call for reopening restaurants Baithak and Drop In