Help desk for Amritsar tourists

To help tourists in Amritsar, the Punjab tourism department is developing a reception centre in the city, which will house a multipurpose hall, an information centre, travel agencies, fast food joints and banking services, all under one roof.

Spread over 2 acres (one acre is 4,840 square yards), the centre will cost Rs 3 crore and will be funded by the Centre. Work on the project is likely to start in a month and is expected to be completed in a year.

For the project, the Amritsar Improvement Trust has already allotted a 2 acre plot of land, free of cost, to the Punjab tourism department for the development of the tourist reception centre under the 97 acre scheme.

Initially the tourism department would develop the reception centre and once the project is completed it would be handed over to Amritsar Improvement Trust for maintenance.

Jugal Kishore Sharm, chairman, Amritsar Improvement Trust, said, "The proposed tourist reception centre is likely to be completed within one year. The proposed tourist centre will house a budget accommodation, Internet services, telephone sevices, medical facilities, prepaid taxis, money changers, post office and a general store also.

He said once the project was completed, it would be a panacea for tourists visiting the holy city.

Talking to Business Standard, Deputy Director (Tourism Department, Punjab), Surinder Bajaj said, "We had already moved an application through the Punjab government to the Centre for funds. Once the funds are released work on the project would be started very soon and would be completed within a year."

He added, "We are also developing a tourist reception centre at Patiala with a total project cost of Rs. 1.25 crore. The grant has already been released from the Centre and the work on the project would commence as soon as the land is allocated."