Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presided over a meeting of tourism department here today to review the ongoing projects. He directed officers of the department to expedite the execution of key infrastructure works to maximize benefits for the people of the State.

The Chief Minister stressed the need for completing the tourism projects in a time bound manner, including heliports and hotels. He said that the execution of these projects would be carried out by the Public Works Department (PWD). He instructed that all heliports must be constructed in strict accordance with the guidelines set by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), with detailed project reports (DPRs) to be finalized by the PWD.

Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also directed the tourism department to explore the possibility of establishing a large convention center in Palampur having accommodation for at least 5,000 people. He said that the need for upgraded infrastructure to support such large gatherings is vital, which would contribute significantly to the state’s tourism appeal.

He also reviewed the ongoing expansion work at Kangra Airport, with the officers reiterating the importance of upgrading tourism infrastructure across the state. He said that tourism is a vital sector for strengthening the economy of the State as it provided livelihoods to thousands of families both directly and indirectly.

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, Vice Chairman, H.P. State Tourism Board R.S. Bali, Principal Secretary Devesh Kumar, Secretary Abhishek Jain, Secretary to the Chief Minister Rakesh Kanwar, Director of Tourism Mansi Sahai Thakur, Engineer-in-Chief N.K. Singh and other senior officers from the tourism department were also present in the meeting.