HP to link Naina Devi Temple with ropeway

Shimla, Aug 5 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today announced that the famous hill shrine of Naina Devi would be linked with ropeway to Anandpur Sahib.

Mr Dhumal made the announcement here on the occasion of launching 'Home Stay Scheme - 2008' of Tourism department.

The work on the construction of identified ropeways would be speeded up to shorten the distances and priority given to construct the Anandpur Sahib-Naina Devi ropeway to connect the two prominent holy shrines, he said.

The Bijli Mahadev, Shah Talai and Palchan-Rohtang ropeways would be constructed on completion of required modalities where the rush of the visitors was much higher as compared to other places.

He said that tourism activities would be promoted by encouraging foreign tourists to visit shrine of Dalai Lama at Dharmshala.

He said that to boost tourism in rural Himachal incentives to the rural households having a maximum of three-room accommodation, exemption in fee for change in land use, luxury and sales/VAT, domestic rates for water and electricity would be provided.

Health tourism, religious tourism, sports tourism, paragliding, mountain biking and raid de Himalaya activities needed to be given boost to draw tourists from world over he pointed out.

He also directed the authorities to expedite the work on Sundernagar airport. Tourism sector contribute 8.5 per cent to state GDP..

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