Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday said the government proposes to start heli taxi service from Manali to Rohtang soon to facilitate tourists.

“We have started already heli taxi service between Shimla and Chandigarh. Efforts would also be made to provide this facility to the tourists from Dharamshala to Chamba and Dalhousie and from Manali to Chandigarh,” said the Chief Minister.

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Addressing a public meeting at Bali Chowki in his Assembly segment Seraj in Mandi district on the occasion of ‘Him Resham Utsava’ organised by Industries department, Thakur said the state government was making all efforts to give a new dimension to the tourism sector in the state by strengthening infrastructure and other facilities.

“We aim to develop unexplored destinations to attract tourists that would not only generate more revenue to the state but would also provide ample self-employment opportunities to the youth.”

He said the state had opened Seri Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Centre (SDDIC) in a remote area of Mandi district to provide an opportunity to the people to connect with the silk industry for self employment.

It is one of the industries where people can work from home for enhancing their income besides contributing in a constructive manner towards development of their village and state as a whole. He said women would be specially benefited by this centre as after getting training from they would be able to contribute towards family income.

Thakur said the state government has launched ‘Silk Samagr’ project to promote sericulture and silk weaving and a provision of Rs 50 crore had been made for this scheme in the current fiscal to benefit farmers. A sum of Rs. 10 crore and Rs 3 crore would be released under Scheduled Caste Sub Plan and Scheduled Tribe Sub Plan respectively.

The Chief Minister said the last five months had seen remarkable achievements and the government was working to benefit all sections of society. Industries Minister Vikram Singh Thakur said SEIDC would prove to be a boon to provide self employment opportunities.