The Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister, Punjab, Mr. Navjot Singh Sidhu today reiterated that the now closed tourist complexes owned by the Punjab Government would be given a fresh lease of life. These tourist complexes are situated on very apt and attractive locations in and outside Punjab.In a high level meeting here at premises of Tourism and Cultural Department office, the minister brainstormed with the departmental officials as well as hotel industry representatives to evolve a strategy to run these complexes. The minister instructed the departmental officials to prepare a roadmap about the issue so as to take forward the plan on a fast track basis.Mr. Sidhu further said that there are scores of places of tourist attraction in and outside Punjab which are owned by the Punjab Government but are rendered ineffective and cannot be used because of not being operational with only a few of the sites being used.
He also revealed that Punjab has no dearth of places with potential to catch the fancy of tourists e.g. Pincassia Ropar, Amaltas Hotel Ludhiana, Kandba Tourist Complex Nangal, Silver Oak Tourist Complex Malout, Surajmukhi Tourist complex Khamanon, Champa Tourist Huts Sri Anandpur Sahib, Moulsri Aam Khas Bagh Sirhind, Tourist Oasis Ludhiana, Hotel Blue Bell Phagwara, Lajwanti Filling Station Hoshiarpur, Bougainvillea Floating restaurant Sirhind, Magnolia tourist complex Kartarpur, Tourist complex Chohal Dam Hoshiarpur, Ethnic Centre Chamkaur Sahib, Tourist reception centre Sri Anandpur Sahib, Thareti (Pathankot) and I.H.M. Boothgarh (Mohali).
The minister also elaborated that Goa, Dharamshala, Manali, Mussourie and Jaipur also have Punjab Government owned tourist complexes which are not being used. He instructed the departmental officials to take concrete steps so as to make them useable for the tourists which would lead to the growth of coffers of the department by leaps and bounds. He underlined the running of Government tourist complexes as his top priority and said that he would leave no stone unturned in taking this mission to its logical conclusion.The minister also exhorted the hotel industry representatives to formulate proposals in this regard and also evolve methods to run the scheme on PPP mode. He assured that Punjab is the best tourist destination to satiate the cultural and religious appetite of the tourists and to attract them, the department would frame a special policy.On the occasion, Principal Secretary, Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Mr. Jaspal Singh and Director Dr. Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa were also present.