Punjab to lease out tourist complexes to private firms: Minister

Jalandhar, Sept 25 (UNI) Punjab government has decided to lease out all the tourist complexes to private firms, Tourism and Cultural Minister Hira Singh Gabria said here today.

Mr Gabria while speaking to media persons said that as many as 32 small and five large tourist complexes would be leased out to private firm as the state government was finding it difficult to run them.

Blaming the previous Congress government headed by Capt Amarinder Singh for selling 10 tourist complexes at throw away prices to private firms, Mr Gabria said that departmental enquiry was on and if some irregularities found in the deal than probe could be handed to over to the Vigilance Bureau.

For the Rs 1000 crore water tourism project, private firms were asked to conduct surveys at different rivers to tap the potential of water tourism in the state, he said adding the government had requesteds the Railway Ministry to run a luxury train with five-star facilities in the state, in which Punjabi food would be served.

To promote religeous tourism, he said soon all the five Takth would be connected by train sevices and private buses would be given permits to connect important religeous places in the state.

UNI