Punjab to conserve heritage sites: Thandal

Chandigarh, June 17, 2014: After assuming the charge as Cabinet Minister, Jail, Tourism, Cultural Affairs and Printing & Stationary Minister Sohan Singh Thandal on Monday conducted two separate meetings with the senior officers of the Jail and Tourism department.

Thandal reviewed the working of the departments and directed the officers to complete all the ongoing projects in time bound manner. Sanjay Kumar, Principal Secretary, Jails, R.P.Meena, ADGP, Jails and Jagjeet Singh, IG, Jails was present in the meeting. The Minister specifically asked the officers to pay special attention towards the welfare activities being conducted for the jail inmates so that they could be rehabilitated and brought back to the mainstream.

Thandal categorically asked the officers to ensure the proper stock of generic medicine in the jail dispensaries. He said that there would not be any dearth of funds for this purpose.

In another meeting, Thandal took stock of the activities and projects being run under Tourism Department. Raji P. Srivastva, Secretary, Tourism and Navjot Singh Randhawa, Director, Tourism was present in the meeting. The Minister reiterated that there was ample scope of tourism in Punjab. He said that the Punjab could be promoted in the international tourism map by preserving the Punjab’s rich cultural heritage and by exploring new heritage sites and perpetuating already existing cultural and heritage sites. The Minister made a special mention of the Virasat-e-Khalsa, Sri Anandpur Sahib, which has been visited by millions of tourists across the globe. He said that such world class heritage sites should be promoted internationally to attract more visitors.

He specifically said that the second phase of Virasat-e-Khalsa would be initiated soon. He further said that funds for this mammoth task, has already been earmarked.