Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], January 11 : The historic Town Hall in Shimla, situated on Mall Road, is set to reopen as a high-end cafe, following a decision by the Himachal Pradesh High Court. This development presents an opportunity to enhance the cultural and social fabric of the community.
Advocate General Anoop Kumar Rattan confirmed that the Town Hall, renovated under a project initiated in 2019, was originally intended to house a high-end cafe. The government's plan faced legal challenges but was ultimately upheld.
"In 2019, the government proposed the idea of opening a high-end cafe in the renovated building. After going through the proper tendering process, the cafe was established. However, a petition was filed challenging the tender process. When the matter was first brought before the High Court, it ruled that it would not entertain challenges related to the tender, and the petition was withdrawn," Rattan added.
The court issued an order on January 10, 2024, noting that the cafe, as it stood, did not meet the definition of "high-end" and ordered its closure. For over a year, debates on the matter continued, with the government proposing improvements, including transitioning the cafe from self-service to full-service and altering the seating plan. During the arguments, the petitioner eventually withdrew the petition, resolving the matter. Following this, the court permitted the cafe to reopen, Rattan said.
"Town Hall is essentially public property, not for private interests," said Former Deputy Mayor.
Former Deputy Mayor Tikendra Singh Pawar criticized the process, stating, "The decision that came yesterday does not require much comment. First, the government invested Rs2-3 crore through a private party, and now it says to shut it down. This should have been decided at the outset that the Town Hall should not have a cafe," said Pawar.
"The Town Hall is a European concept where the Mayor decides its purpose. During the previous government's tenure, the Town Hall was misused. Its rightful owner is the Municipal Corporation, and it should determine its use. Municipal services lacked space, forcing them to operate under the mercy of the Deputy Commissioner, which was unfortunate. If an investment had been made, the investor should have been compensated. The Town Hall is a heritage building, and its judicial and rightful use must be ensured," added Tikender.
Mayor Surender Chauhan said that operations would resume and the court's directions would be followed. "We will follow the court's directions," he said.
Shimla Mayor Surender Chauhan also commented on the matter, stating, "We had earlier allowed the cafe, and the High Court's recent decision dismissed the petition as it was withdrawn. Whatever directions the court gave, we followed them. We restarted the cafe as per the fresh agreement and conditions set by the court. Currently, the rent we receive is around Rs13 lakh annually, and the agreement was renewed with the first party to whom we had allotted it. It depended on whether they wanted to continue or not, but we resumed operations," said Mayor Surinder Chauhan.
This development marked the reopening of an iconic structure for commercial use while adhering to judicial and heritage guidelines.
The Town Hall Building, built in 1908 on Mall Road in the heart of the city, was an iconic building and a source of tourist attraction. This building used to be the office of the Shimla Municipal Corporation, the local government of the city. The SMC had handed over the building to the tourism department in 2014 for renovation and restoration of the rich heritage of the capital town of Himachal Pradesh. In 2022, the food court-cum-cafe was started in the Town Hall, and it was closed following the High Court's order in January 2024. After the withdrawal of the petition, the court directed the cafe to reopen.