Promoting travel

Ranchi, July 7: To promote the concept of youth hostels in Ranchi, the Youth Hostels Association of India’s Jharkhand chapter inaugurated a hostel at Hotel Anjali in the capital today. The hotel will host members of the association at concessional rates to promote youth travel.

YHAI Jharkhand Chapter president and urban development secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni said the hostel marks the beginning of a new era in hostelling in the state. “It is a modest beginning and our endeavour is to promote such hostels through private hotels in other cities of the state also,” Kulkarni said.

He added that there are 70 such hostels which function through hotels.

Hotel Anjali will provide lodging facilities at Rs 945 for a deluxe room, Rs 595 for an economy room, Rs 420 for a single room while a single bed in the dormitory will be available for Rs 300 per day. The accommodation will be for members of the Association only, informed chairman Shivendra Nath Dubey. Membership can be availed by depositing a fee of Rs 100 for a year, Rs 200 for two years and Rs 1550 for lifetime membership.

Dubey said the youth hostels are a home away from home and also provide accommodation at very cheap rates abroad. The motto is to provide comfortable, inexpensive and secure boarding and lodging to travellers who are members of the Association.

BIT-Mesra sports officer Rama Shankar Singh and one of the founder members of the Jharkhand chapter of the YHAI said a similar hostel has also been started at Hotel Boulevard in Jamshedpur.