Accusing the Punjab government of sitting over a tourism development project sponsored by the Union Ministry of Tourism for integrated development of Ludhiana as a tourist destination in Punjab,city MP and the national spokesperson of the Indian National Congress Manish Tewari said project was yet to take off despite release of funds by the Centre and repeated reminders to the state. Pursuant to his demand,the MP said,the Union tourism ministry had sanctioned Rs 302.43 lakh for the project,which was to be implemented by the Punjab Heritage Tourism Promotion Board within 18 months. An amount of Rs 241.96 lakh was released in February this year. Taking serious note of the delay,Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja wrote to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal,with a copy of the letter to the MP,he claimed. The ministry has also written to the tourism director. Selja wrote: I am bringing this matter to your personal attention so that the officials concerned may be instructed to take immediate action for release of funds to expeditiously implement the project. The Akali-BJP government always cried hoarse that the Centre was not giving grants to the state,with utilising the money already released to it for important and time-bound projects, said Tewari.
