Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today laid the foundation stone of a new tourism complex at Auhar in Bilaspur district to be constructed at a cost of Rs 33.75 crore. This complex will feature modern facilities like a hotel block, a food court and a recreation zone and is expected to be completed in two years.
The Chief Minister said that the hotel block would have a reception-cum-waiting area, a restaurant with a seating capacity for 60 people, a conference room for 30 people, a ‘dham hall’ for 400 persons, a banquet hall for 300 persons and several other facilities. “The new complex will epitomise luxury and cater to tourists with its state-of-the-art facilities,” he added.
Sukhu said, “The second phase of the complex will be constructed on the opposite side of the road with both blocks interconnected. This phase will feature an amusement park for children, a food court and other essential amenities and the project will cost Rs 150 crore.” He added that the state government was committed to improving infrastructure and providing world-class facilities to tourists so that they did not face any inconvenience during their stay in the state.
He said that tourism was a crucial sector for strengthening the state’s economy. It offered significant employment and self-employment opportunities for the youth of the state. “The government is making all-out efforts to make Himachal Pradesh the top tourist destination,” he added.
Later, while talking to mediapersons, the Chief Minister expressed gratitude to people for supporting the Congress in the byelections. He said that people had rejected the “Operation Lotus” and the politics of horse-trading by sending six former MLAs home, delivering a strong message against the BJP’s conspiracy. He asked Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and other BJP leaders to learn a lesson from the public mandate and play a constructive role as the Opposition.
Sukhu said that development was hindered due to the election code of conduct and assured people that the Congress government would expedite decision making for the state’s benefit. He also listened to public grievances. Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani, former MLAs Babu Ram Gautam and Tilak Raj, Congress leaders Vivek Kumar and Pushpinder Verma and Deputy Commissioner Abid Hussain Sadiq were also present.