Our Impact !!!! HPTDC forced to give statement Government plans tourism policy for Lahaul and Spiti Pratibha Chauhan \Tribune News Service Shimla, November 13 With the commissioning of the Rohtang tunnel making the tribal district of Lahaul & Spiti accessible round the year, the Tourism Department has prepared a perfective policy so that the infrastructure is accordingly created and strengthened once the tunnel is through. Though the Rohtang tunnel is likely to be complete only by 2018, with a heavy influx of tourists, both domestic and foreign, facilities will have to be created. A beginning in this direction has already been made by preparing the perspective policy with the technical assistance of the World Bank. The Tourism Department has also prepared an action plan for tourism development in Kinnaur district. Despite Kinnaur being a popular destination for a large number of foreign and domestic tourists from Maharashtra and Gujarat, there is no proper planning and growth. The facilities, too, are not matching and a lot of haphazard growth has taken place resulting in eyesores in the otherwise pristine environs. The ball has been set rolling by preparing a proposal to pull down the dilapidated Tourist Bungalow at Keylong and constructing a new structure in its place. This task is being undertaken with the help of funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Similarly, sites are being identified to create ample parking space to accommodate tourist vehicles. The Tourism Department has already taken up the issue of strengthening the road infrastructure connecting the tribal district and also the interior roads. “Most of the roads in the district are not suited to cater to heavy vehicular movement so this aspect will have to be taken care of,” said tourism officials. Similarly, water and power supply to the district will also have to be augmented to cater to a larger floating population. In the last few years, the number of tourists visiting Kinnaur and Lahaul & Spiti has gone up tremendously. In 2012, a total of 3.96 lakh domestic and 47, 413 foreign tourists visited Lahaul & Spiti. In 2012, the figure of domestic tourists to Kinnaur was 4.67 lakh and of foreign tourists were 17,860. The two tribal districts have ancient Buddhist monasteries replete with antiques and many temples, depicting beautiful wood architecture. A large number of foreigners visit the Tabo Monastery and other areas in the vicinity. The Tourism Department has developed a special Buddhist circuit linking various places of interest.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 03:08:54 +0000
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