Feasibility prepared for 14Km long Kumrat Cable Car project
our correspondent
PESHAWAR
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has termed promotion of tourism activities as one of the top priorities of his government and said that incumbent government is taking pragmatic steps to develop tourism as an industry to create job opportunities for the people of the province.
TheCM expressing satisfaction over the progress so far made on development projects initiated by Tourism Department, has directed the high ups of the department to take all necessary steps for timely completion and rehabilitation of access roads to tourist’s spots in Malakand and Hazara region and to give special attention to schemes initiated under Integrated Tourism Zones project.
He was chairing a progress review meeting of the Tourism Department on Thursday here at the Chief Minister House. Member Provincial Assembly Mian Sharafat Ali, Secretary Tourism Abid Majeed, Principal Secretary to CM Shahab Ali Shah and others attended the meeting.
The meeting was briefed in detail about outsourcing of public rest houses, Integrated Tourism Zones, public sector development projects, construction of access roads to tourism spots and development schemes reflected in the current Annual Development Program.
The meeting was told that during the last financial year cent percent utilization of funds against the released amount was ensured while Rs 910 million has been utilized so far out of total Rs 2916 million allocated for new and ongoing projects of the Tourism Department during the current financial year.
Apprising the forum about outsourcing of government rest houses, it was informed that 128 rest houses out of total 168 would be re-advertised for outsourcing next month. Five rest houses in Nathiagali have been transferred to the tourism department under the Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZ) program, four ITZs sites at Manshera, Abbottabad, Lower Chitral and Swat have been approved adding that these projects would be ready in all respect for launching by June next year.
Similarly, a survey on eight new ITZs sites has been conducted and would soon be presented to relevant forums for approval. These new sites include Kalash valley Lower Chitral, Shahi Lower Dir, Jaroga fall Swat, Marghzar DaK, Buner, Mahabanar Buner, Ilum valley Buner, Serene and Mamoor vallies district Mansehra.
Furthermore, Under the PSDP projects, feasibility studies have been approved for development of resorts at Takht-e-Sulaman D.I.Khan, Garam chashma district Chitral, Chapri and Shalzone District Kurram, Sheikh Badin Lakki and Takhtbhai District Mardan whereas negotiations with the concerned company were also in final stages for the execution of these projects.
Similarly, feasibility of 14 Km long Kumrat Cable Car project is being prepared whereas progress on Ayubia Chairlift Project is underway.
The forum was apprised that under the public private partnership initiatives, work on the feasibility studies for development of Hund Theme Park Swabi and Mahodand Lake Swat was in progress. Besides this, PC-1 for the project of 1175 Kanal motorsports arena at Kheshgi Nowshera is being converted into investment plan.
It was further informed that under the development program of tourists’ spots in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, various schemes including development of six waterfalls, four tourists sites and construction of three access roads have been approved by PDWP.
Development of 52.5 Kilometer long access roads in Malakand division and 60 Km long access roads of Hazara division is also the part of current developmental program. Beside these projects PC-1 of World Bank assisted access roads project would be approved in next month.
The authorities told that survey was underway for the establishment of rest areas in the various tourist zones of the province adding that the facility of rest area after each 10 to 15 Km or each 40 to 60 minutes drive would be available in which separate units would be provided to special persons.
In order to promote heritage tourism, 134 sign boards have been installed at Mardan, Swat Motorway, Takhtbhai, Jamal Garhi and Shahbaz Garhi to facilitate the tourists whereas a task has also been ordered for the installation of 130 sign boards in Swat.
