K-P tourists spots to reopen after Eid

Chief minister says SOPs have been prepared

PESHAWAR:

After keeping them closed for over four months as part of preventive measures against the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), the provincial government is expected to take the key decision on reopening tourist spots across the province after Eidul Azha.

This was disclosed by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Friday as he visited the tourist hotbed of the province, the scenic hills and valleys Shogran in Mansehra. Mahmood formally inaugurated three different road projects there which are aimed at improving access to tourist destinations.

These access roads include the 15 kilometre-long Manoor Valley Road, the 11 kilometre-long Shogran Valley Road and the nine kilometre-long Pabrang Valley Road. The combined cost of completing these projects is an estimated Rs1.42 billion.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Mahmood said that the government has prepared a specific set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to reopen the tourism sector in the province.

A decision to this effect, he said, will be made early next month after consulting the federal and provincial governments.

He termed the promotion of the tourism sector in the province as one of the top priorities of his government. To boost tourism, he said that his administration has devised a strategy to boost the sector on modern lines for which a tourism authority has been established in the province.

Under the strategy, he said that not only have they identified new tourist spots, but are also building access roads to these places.

"An amount of Rs2.4 billion has been allocated in the new Annual Development Programme for the construction of access roads to various tourist points in the Hazara Division,” Mahmood said, adding that they are currently working on 370km-long roads in various tourist spots of the province at an estimated cost of Rs20 billion under the KITE project. Further, feasibility studies are being carried out on the establishment of 10 Integrated Tourism Zones in the Hazara and Malakand divisions.

Further, he said that four spots have been selected for development into full-fledged tourist destinations in Mansehra while another 10 spots will be added.

The chief minister also announced plans to build rest areas for tourists in Shogran Valley, the construction of a Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Balakot, the establishment of two girls degree colleges in Balakot, construction of concrete bridges on the Kunhar River, and the approval of beautification schemes for Mansehra.

Even though the province is facing a budget deficit of Rs53 billion due to the pandemic, Mahmood claimed that they have not compromised on their developmental portfolio.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2020.