New Delhi: A total of Rs 460 crore has been disbursed to the beneficiaries towards land acquisition for the expansion of Kangra airport, and another Rs 1,899 crore is ready to be released, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said.
Reviewing various ongoing projects of the tourism department here on Thursday, he said the expansion of Kangra airport is of paramount importance as it will bolster the economy of not only Kangra district but also the adjoining districts.
"It will go a long way in promoting tourism activities in this region, thereby generating employment and self-employment opportunities for the local youth," he said, adding that the expansion of this airport would also attract high-end tourists to the area.
The Chief Minister also reviewed the ongoing project of setting up heliports across the state and directed that the construction work be completed.
The operational authorisation for Sanjauli and Rampur Bushair heliports has been received from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), he said, adding that operations should commence soon after completing the remaining codal formalities.
He also reviewed the ongoing construction work of other heliports being set up at Kagnidhdar in Mandi district, Rakkar and Palampur in Kangra district, Sultanpur in Kullu district, Reckongpeo in Kinnaur district and Jaskot in Hamirpur district and instructed the officers to complete these projects by next year.
He said the new routes for the operation of the helicopters should be identified and made operational to facilitate the tourists. Tourism is the mainstay of the economy of the state, and the present state government is promoting tourism in a big way.
Sukhu directed officials to expedite the construction work of the Auhar tourist complex in Bilaspur district, as 46 per cent of the work has been completed so far.
He also reviewed various tourism projects being constructed with Asian Development Bank (ADB) funding and instructed to accelerate the construction work of these projects.
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