Punjab needs more hotel management institutes: Sanjeev Arora MP

Ludhiana, July 31, 2022: Sanjeev Arora MP (Rajya Sabha) has stressed the need for setting up of more central government funded hotel management institutes in Punjab which has significant number of hotels in place and coming up Ludhiana, Amritsar, Mohali and Jalandhar. This will help in more employment for youth of state and in turn crime & drug menace will reduce.

In a statement here today, he added it has been observed that demand for hotels has been escalating across the country but there prevails shortage of skilled professionals. Not only in India but there is a great demand for skilled professionals worldwide in the hotel industry, he added.     

Arora added that recently, he tabled a few questions with regard to hotel management institutes in the country in Rajya Sabha and in reply, the Union Minister of Tourism has answered that there exists a total 21 Central Institutes of Hotel Management (CIHM) across the country. Of these, one CIHM is located in Gurdaspur. He pointed out that there is a need of more such institutes in Punjab.

Adding, he said with the growing demand of hotels in the country, the hotel industry has huge growth potential in the near future. The demand for smart and skilled professionals in this industry is increasing at a fast pace, not only in India but also worldwide. Accordingly, there is a dire need for skilled and retainable professionals. Punjab can contribute in a significant manner if there are sufficient number of hotel management institutes in the private sector as well as in the government sector. 

He said the Union Minister of Tourism has further informed the House that a total six State Institute of Hotel Management (SIHM), one each at Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, were affiliated during last three years (2019-20, 2020-21and 2021-22) and funds worth Rs.5930.56 lakhs were allocated to these institutes.  However, no SIHM has been affiliated in Punjab in the last three years. 

Arora said the setting up of new hotel management institute is an ongoing process and the Union Ministry of Tourism takes necessary decision in this regard as and when proposals are received from the State Govt./UT Administration. He said now, he would take up this matter with the AAP-led Government in Punjab to take an initiative in this regard for better prospective of the youths willing to get professional education in hotel management institutes. 

He added that the importance of setting up of more such institutes in the state has increased in view of the fact that introduction of Hospitality Education through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) has been discontinued from current Financial Year on the recommendation of Standing Finance Committee of the Ministry.