Haryana approves 48 tourism projects

CHANDIGARH, May 20: In its bid to encourage private entrepreneurs to set up hotels and other tourism projects in the state, the Haryana Tour...

CHANDIGARH, May 20: In its bid to encourage private entrepreneurs to set up hotels and other tourism projects in the state, the Haryana Tourism has approved 48 projects with an investment of Rs 351 crore. Of these, quite a few are expected to be commissioned shortly.

Disclosing this here today, Haryana Minister of State for Tourism Ram Bhajan Aggarwal said that a major process for modernisation and upgradation of tourist complexes has been started to refurbish the image of Haryana tourism so as to meet the growing demand of tourists. At present the tourism department has a network of 44 tourist complexes which cater to about 70 lakh tourists every year.

The Minister said the state government has formulated a new policy for taking up tourism promotion work in collaboration with the private sector.

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Under this policy, the land would be provided to the private entrepreneurs on licence for a period of 33 years. This scheme was likely to give a major boost to tourism industry in the state as well as generate additional resources for the government, he added.

The Minister said the department had also completed many prestigious projects in the last two years. These include: seven golfing huts at Aravalli Golf Course (Faridabad), silver jubilee hall at Magpie tourist complex (Faridabad), tourist reception centre (Surajkund), banquet hall at Skylark tourist complex (Panipat), banquet hall and two rooms at Surkhab tourist complex (Sirsa), Yatrika at Shir Mata Mansa Devi Shrine, banquet hall and two rooms at Bulbul tourist complex (Jind), budget accommodation at Yadavindra tourist complex (Pinjore) and fast food centre at Parakeet tourist complex (Pipli).

New complexes are coming up at Bhiwani, Hansi, Pehowa and Rai. “Fast food centres are being set up at Rohtak and Hisar and more rooms are being added at Morni, Gurgaon, Rewari, Pipli and Rohtak to give more facilities,” the Minister said. The department is going to expand the existing nine-holes Aravalli Golf Course at Faridabad to 18 holes.