Patiala, Jan 15 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday dedicated the first-of-its-kind boutique and heritage hotel Ran Baas-Palace constructed in the 18th-century fortress, Quilla Mubarak, the seat of the royal family that had been lying in disrepair for long in Patiala, to the people.
The Chief Minister said this aesthetically designed hotel has been built on PPP mode and would set a new benchmark in comfort, hospitality and elegance. He envisioned that the magnificent hotel would be a favourite place for destination weddings and others.
Mann said the hotel would give impetus to tourism in the royal city by providing a comprehensive and holistic wedding destination, in addition to its current status as a hub for religious tourism. He said besides grandeur, this hotel is a reflection of the glorious cultural heritage of the state.
The Chief Minister expressed the government’s commitment to making Punjab a leading tourist destination in the country through such projects. He said geographically Punjab is a blessed land and the government intends to take the tourism sector to a new zenith.
Areas around Chohal Dam, Ranjit Sagar Dam, Shahpur Kandi Dam and Kandi areas of the state are being developed as ideal tourist destinations for attracting tourists from across the globe.
The Chief Minister said the state has land even in other states like Goa, Jaipur in Rajasthan and McLeodganj in Himachal Pradesh and that would also be developed. Citing an example, Mann said the state has created history by purchasing the Goindwal power plant owned by a private company GVK Power, adding for the first time this reverse trend has started that the government has purchased any private power plant whereas in the past the state governments used to sell their assets to the favourite individuals at ‘throw-away’ prices.
Mann said this is the first heritage hotel of the state and more such projects would be developed in the state by optimally utilising the historic buildings of the state.
The Chief Minister said the government would construct a heritage street at the native village of Shaheed-e-Aazam Bhagat Singh to showcase the glorious contribution of Punjab and Punjabis in the national freedom struggle. He said the 850-m-long heritage street would be constructed from the existing museum to the ancestral house of Shaheed Bhagat Singh at Khatkar Kalan.
–IANS
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