Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday said that the State Government was actively considering framing a new Tourism Policy to enhance visitor experiences by promoting lesser-known destinations of the State.
Presiding over a meeting of the Tourism Department to review various tourism projects being undertaken in the State, he said that State Government was working to increase tourist influx in the State from three to five crore within the next five years. "Nature has blessed Himachal with unprecedented grandeur and there was a need to tap this potential to the maximum to increase the footfall of the tourists," he said.
Sukhu said that approximately 72 lakh tourists have visited Himachal by May 2023. To accurately assess tourist influx he instructed the Tourism Department to evolve a mechanism for data collection and also directed to improve the infrastructure with all basic amenities to facilitate the visitors. Tourism plays a crucial role in strengthening the economy of the State and the present State Government has been giving topmost priority to development of tourism-related projects.
He also emphasized the importance of marketing and rationalization of staff in the tourism department to provide better facilities for tourists.
Reviewing the various projects aimed at developing Kangra district as a tourism capital, he directed the department to prepare a concept paper for further consideration. These projects include a roller skating rink in Sakoh, a golf course in Paragpur, a high-end resort in Menjha, a tourism village in Narghota and the proposed Aero City in Kangra. Apart from this, the government mulls to set up a theme-based satellite village at Naura Khad in Nagrota Bagwaan assembly segment of Kangra district, he said.
Loans to be provided at subsidized rates through Cooperative banks: CM
Major reforms will be implemented in the next six months to enhance the functioning of the State cooperative banks and people in Himachal Pradesh trust these banks and utilize the banking facilities to support their livelihood, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Thursday.
In a statement, he said the State Government was committed to strengthen the Co-operative banks in the State by providing all possible assistance so that they can provide the best banking services to the consumers.
He said a scheme is being formulated to provide loans up to Rs. 20 lakh at the rate of one percent interest to poor students for higher education so that no one is deprived of education due to a lack of resources. Apart from this, taxi operators will be issued permits to run e-taxi in the coming time. The Government will provide a 50 percent subsidy on the purchase of e-taxi, e-bus and e-truck, he said, adding that loans will be provided at subsidized rates to the needy in coming times.
The State Government will also provide 40 percent financial assistance to set up solar power projects ranging from 250 KW to 2 MW and the electricity generated would be purchased by the Himachal Pradesh Electricity Board Ltd. Banks will liberally provide loans in these schemes as the sovereign guarantee of these loans will be provided by the State Government. The State Government has decided to make the Co-operative Bank a prime bank for the scheme of setting up solar energy projects in the State, said the Chief Minister.