As the campaigning heat for the lok Sabha election soars, BJP’s Gurdaspur candidate Vinod Khanna is all set with his plans to make his constituency into a major tourism hub.“The topography here is beautiful — rivers, lakes, mountains, pleasant weather, and proximity to other tourist destinations makes this a perfect place for a flourishing tourism economy,” he says.
Khanna, a three-time MP from Gurdaspur was instrumental in getting sanctions from the Centre and establishing the Pathankot Airport and railway lines during his tenure “The airport and railway connectivity is key for growing tourism or industry in this region…there are no planes flying at this time — this hits the economy of our region. Airport cargo is used to transport agri products that is a key source of income in this area. In the last few years, all flights are stopped despite having an airport. This has hurt the economy of this region badly. I need to fix this,’ he said.
He said there is a huge demand from industries and businesses for a functioning airport in Pathankot.Khanna’s ambition to develop a tourism hub in Gurdaspur is an idea that was conceived during his stint as the Culture and Tourism Minister in Vajpayee’s Cabinet.“Ranjeet Singh lake with beautiful forest and mountain surrounding it, can become a primary hub for water sports and a great tourism spot with various events such as national rowing competition, paragliding, etc,” he said.
“This area has the capacity to generate huge income via tourism — which will then create jobs for thousands. Our people will not have to go out of the region looking for jobs or get into unwanted activities such as drug addiction etc due to lack of job opportunities,” he added.