Rs 7 cr aid for Surajkund, Pinjore gardens

Chandigarh, Mar 1 (UNI) The Centre has given a financial assistance of over Rs 7.70 crore to the Haryana government to develop Yadvindra Gardens at Pinjore and Surajkund at Faridabad as heritage destinations.

Talking to reporters here today, Haryana Minister of State for Forests and Tourism Kiran Choudhry said out of the total financial aid, an amount of over Rs 4.03 crore had been sanctioned for the preservation of historical buildings and other infrastructure of Yadvindra Gardens and Rs 3.67 crore for developing Surajkund.

Ms Choudhry said the government was making all out efforts to develop the state as a major tourist destination. A heritage preservation consultant had been engaged for preservation of historical buildings and other infrastructure of Yadvindra Garden at Pinjore.

Similarly, the Badkhal Lake Tourist Complex in Faridabad would also be developed as an ideal tourist destination for which Union Ministry of Tourism had sanctioned financial assistance of Rs 1.81 crore.

To give a boost to tourism, she said that cottages would also be constructed at Morni and Tikkar Taal Lake so that tourists could enjoy the beauty of nature.

She said the state government had approved the plan outlay of Rs 15 crore for tourism promotion during the current financial year while an amount of over Rs 21.43 crore had been sanctioned as central financial assistance during the same period. Referring to the recently announced State Tourism Policy, she said that thrust would be given to develop the state as a ''tourist destination'' in participation with the private sector.

She said the Panipat-Kurukshetra-Pinjore was being developed as an integrated tourist circuit with the central financial assistance of Rs 16.30 crore. Once developed, this would likely to become an important and famous tourist circuit based on history, religion and ancient cultural heritage, she added.

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