Punjab constitutes Shivalik Tourism Development Board to exploit huge potential of Shivalik Foothills

Chandigarh, October 31, 2014: With a view to exploit the huge potential of sub mountain regions along Shivalik hills falling in districts SAS Nagar, Rupnagar, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot and Gurdaspur for developing tourism destination projects, Punjab Government has constituted a Shivalik (Dhauladhar) Tourism Development Board under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Disclosing this here on Friday, a spokesman of the Deputy Chief Minister office asserted that there is ample scope for development of religio-cultural tourism sites into live spaces in the state. "Under the dynamic vision of Deputy CM,  tourism and theme destinations in Punjab will not only attract tourists from within the country and abroad but also attract investors and hence increase revenue and economic growth", he added.

He further informed that the Deputy Chief Minister has recently visited at the Pong Dam and other tourist areas in Shivalik foothills in Gurdaspur and Pathankot districts to activate the tourism activities in these areas. To set up theme destinations Badal has asked the housing department to constitute a development board for the Shivalik Ranges.

As per the notification issued by the state the Shivalik board would have CEO as its member secretary. The 14 member committee of the board comprises Finance Minister, Tourism Minister, Chief Secretary, Financial Commissioner Forest and Wild life, Principal Secretary Finance, Principal Secretary Investment Promotion, Principal Secretary Irrigation, Principal Secretary Tourism, Principal Secretary PWD,  Secretary Housing & Urban Development and MD PIDB.

He said that the board would also have an executive committee under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary and Secretary Housing and Urban Development, MD PIDB, CEO Punjab Investment Bureau, CEO Shivalik Tourism Development Board, Deputy Commissioner Pathankot and Chief Engineer Shivalik Tourism Development Board would be the members of executive committee.

He informed that apart from CEO, the board would have serving or retired officers in the rank of Chief Engineer, Chief/Senior Town Planner, an Architect, Finance Manager and minimal supporting staff. EOM

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