Kalanaur to be developed as tourist hub, says Sidhu
GURDASPUR : Punjab minister for tourism Navjot Singh Sidhu said here on Saturday that the historical town of Kalanaur will be developed as a tourist destination and a sum of ₹15 crore will be spent on its development.
Sidhu visited Kalanaur, where the coronation of Mughal emperor Akbar, had taken place, on the invitation of Punjab minister for cooperation and jails Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa to assess the tourism potential here.
Addressing mediapersons, Sidhu said special efforts are being made to encourage tourism at 32 places in Punjab by preserving the historical, religious and cultural heritage of the state.
Sidhu said a memorial of the Muslim era will be developed at Kalanaur as a tourist destination to attract tourists from across the world.
Sidhu said the road leading to the historical place will be widened and six-acre land, surrounding the memorial, will get a facelift with gardens, a well and fountains of the Mughal era on it. He said the ancient Shiv temple and a gurdwara built in the memory of Banda Singh Bahadur in Kalanaur will also be developed in two years as a religious place for tourists and pilgrims.
ACTION AGAINST WRONGDOINGS WILL CONTINUE: SIDHU
PATHANKOT: Facing heat from his own party’s MLA and workers over his action against illegal colonies in Jalandhar, local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu reiterated that he would continue to take action wrongdoings in the state.
Sidhu, who visited the Ranjit Sagar Dam in Shahpur Kandi near Pathankot to explore the possibilities of tourism in the area on Saturday, claimed that he was an honest man and he feels that action should be taken against wrong practices.
On a question over the scam in the Pathankot Improvement Trust and the culprits, except one, still at large, Sidhu said the offenders cannot remain free for a long time and they will have face the law sooner or later.
Sidhu, who was accompanied by Pathankot MLA Amit Vij; Vikas Partap and Shiv Dullar Singh Dhillon, secretary and director (tourism) respectively and SSP Vivek Sheel Soni, paid tributes to the workers and officials of the dam, who died during its construction.
Sidhu, who wants to develop the area into a tourist hub, said that the land had an immense tourism potential, which needs to be tapped.
He said the government has earmarked ₹2,000 crore to develop tourism in the state and money will come from the urban development, irrigation and tourism departments.