Punjab govt to prepare roadmap for tourist complexes: Sidhu

The Punjab government will prepare a roadmap to give a fresh lease of life to closed state-owned tourist complexes, Tourism and Cultural Affairs minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said here today.
These tourist complexes are situated on apt and attractive locations in and outside Punjab, he said.
In a high-level meeting here, the minister brainstormed with the department officials as well as hotel industry representatives to evolve a strategy to run these complexes, an official spokesman said.
The minister instructed the department officials to prepare a roadmap about the issue so as to take forward the plan on a fast-track basis.

Sidhu said there are scores of places of tourist attraction in and outside Punjab which are owned by the government, but are rendered ineffective and cannot be used because of not being operational.
Among the de-funct tourist complexes are Pincassia Ropar, Amaltas hotel Ludhiana, Kandba tourist complex Nangal, Silver oak tourist complex Malout, Surajmukhi tourist complex Khamanon, Champa tourist huts Anandpur Sahib, Moulsri Aam Khas Bagh Sirhind, Tourist oasis Ludhiana, Bougainvillea floating restaurant Sirhind, Magnolia tourist complex Kartarpur.

He said that Goa, Dharamsala, Manali, Mussourie and Jaipur also have Punjab government owned tourist complexes which are not being used.
Sidhu instructed the departmental officials to take concrete steps so as to make them usable 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.