*RANJIT SAGAR LAKE IN PATHANKOT TO BE DEVELOPED AS WORLD CLASS TOURIST DESTINATION: CS* 

• Bhagwant Mann Govt organises Investor Summit in New Delhi to invite private players to invest in tourism projects in punjab

Chandigarh, June 10:

With an aim to further enhance and promote tourism to put Punjab on Global map, the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government is all set to develop Ranjit Sagar Lake in Pathankot as an International Standard Tourism Destination.

Taking a step towards making Punjab as the tourist attraction spot, the Punjab Government, on Friday, has organised an Investor Summit in New Delhi to extend an invitation to the Private sector to invest in the Tourism and other sectors in the State.

While special focus was laid on the development of Ranjit Sagar Lake as an International Tourist Destination, various other projects having the potential to be developed as Tourist spots were also showcased during the Summit. Other projects include Darbar Hall and Gol Kothi in Kapurthala, Sangrur Kothi in Sangrur, Amritsar & Mohali Convention Centres, Shahpur Kandi Fort etc.

Surrounded by lush greenery and hills, this critically juxtaposed site spans across 74.76 acres along Ranjit Sagar Lake has a great tourism potential as it is located enroute to Dalhousie, and is in vicinity to Dharamshala, Palampur, Chamba and Vaishno Devi, Katra, all very famous tourist destinations.

Punjab Chief Secretary Mr. Anirudh Tewari, while presiding over the function said that the Ranjit Sagar Lake in Pathankot will be developed as state-of-the-art tourist destination on Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode for which the State Government has already obtained Environment Clearance and Stage-1 Forest Clearance to develop.

He said that with Punjab having a rich and diverse natural landscape, it is envisaged to unlock this potential for the citizens and assist them in appreciating and conserving natural resources. “This shall not only preserve & conserve the natural heritage but also trigger other ancillary development & employment generation for the local community,” he added.

The Chief Secretary said that the Punjab Government under the visionary leadership of CM Bhagwant Mann intends to develop a strong economic base with a special initiative on promoting sustainable tourism. “Punjab Chief Minister recently reviewed the projects and directed to identify and initiate various tourism projects across the State. In furtherance of this initiative, the Government has organised this Investor Summit,” he said.

While extending an invitation to investors to invest in Punjab, Mr. Anirudh Tewari,  also briefed them about the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ policy adopted by the state which provides hassle-free Single Window Clearance to the investors besides giving them Investment incentives.

Renowned organisations in the Tourism sector including ITC Hospitality, Taj, Mahindra Holidays, Marriot, Hyaat, Park, CGH Earth and many other players participated in the event.

Addressing the extinguished representatives of tourism sector, Principal Secretary Tourism and Cultural Affairs Mr. Tejveer Singh said that the vision of the state government to develop ecological sensitive tourist destinations by actively supporting ‘Responsible Tourism’ in the State. The majestic beauty of the Ranjit Sagar Lake has an immense potential for tourism and eco-resort, adventure & water sports and other activities would be the attraction for the tourists, he added.

Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism (GoI) Mr. Rakesh Kumar Verma, Principal Secretary Housing & Urban Development Mr. Ajoy Kumar Sinha, Managing Director, Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) Mr. Mohammad Tayyab, Additional Managing Director PIDB Mr. Yashanjit Singh,  Additional CEO Invest Punjab Mr. Uma Shankar Gupta and Advisor Tourism Department Punjab Mr. Shivdular Singh Dhillon were among the prominents who were present on the occasion.