The BMC-run Yatri Nivas in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 9: The Yatri Nivas, a budget guesthouse run by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), is sporting a spanking new look after renovation.

Some guests, though, are still unhappy with the way the guesthouse is run even after renovation.

The renovation, done at a cost of Rs 40 lakh, included tiled flooring, revamping of plumbing and sewerage, painting and a raised boundary wall.

The guesthouse was built for the convenience of tourists travelling to the capital on a shoestring budget and looking for a comfortable stay. Inaugurated by the then chief minister J.B. Patnaik in 1988, the Nivas has 45 rooms on three floors and is located on the Cuttack-Puri Road (now NH-203). It has been a major crowd puller ever since, especially for tourists travelling in large groups.

Several changes have been made for the convenience of guests. “The ground floor had common toilets but now all the 14 rooms will have attached toilets. This will be more convenient for the guests as they will now have more privacy,” said BMC assistant engineer Antaryami Patra. New floor tiles will improve the look of the interior of the guesthouse while the entrance will sport new light fittings, giving a welcoming look to the Nivas. The budget guesthouse that is very popular with tourists offers rooms at very affordable rates.

“While one has to pay Rs 300 per night for each of the 14 rooms on the ground floor, the rooms on the first floor come for Rs 200 and those on the second floor are available for Rs 150 each. The ground floor rooms have attached toilets, the two other floors have common toilet facilities. Apart from the 42 rooms, each floor has got one dormitory each with 17 beds. A bed in the dormitories comes for Rs 900,’’ said the caretaker of the Yatri Nivas.

The Yatri Nivas is also rented out for weddings and other social gatherings. “The lawn outside the Nivas and the yard inside are available for Rs 10,000 for a single night. The income from the building comes to around Rs 5,000 to Rs 30,000 per day depending on the number of guests. The income is more during the wedding season and festive occasions when the lawn, the inside yard and the rooms are booked by a single user,’’ he added.

A guest at the Nivas, Anjan Kumar Chand, however, said that problems remain even after renovation. Chand, who works for a Balasore-based non-government organisation, said: “Today the water pump started malfunctioning but no one has repaired it. So we want to shift to another place. We were staying here as our computer training centre was nearby, but without water how can we stay?’’

“Apart from this, the garbage and the discarded construction material dumped near the entrance of the Yatri Nivas doesn’t help the image of the civic body that is in charge of maintaining it. The authorities should ensure that the surroundings are cleaned regularly,’’ he added.