Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday said Rs 50 crore tourism development project has been sent for ADB funding for Mandi town to give boost to the tourism activities in area.
Addressing a public meeting at Vallabh Government Degree College at Mandi, Thakur said under this project, a lake and other basic tourism infrastructure would be developed to take Mandi town on the world tourist map.
“A helipad would also be constructed at Kangnidhar in order to provide heli-taxi facility to the region,” he added.
He said Medical University would be constructed at New Chowk to provide best medical education to the students and the cluster university would be made a fully fledged university soon.
While nostalgically remembering his college days, CM said that college life was one of the best days in one’s life, as we lead a carefree life during this period. “I started my political career from this very college and the college life had taught him vital lessons of life and helped him to shape his career,” he said, adding the college had given several renowned persons who had brought laurels to this institution.
The CM while expressing concern over the use of drugs amongst the younger generation said that this social vice was ruining our society.
He said that recently on his initiative, a meeting was held with the CMs of northern states to chalk out a joint strategy to eradicate this social evil. He said that each one of us must work collectively with missionary zeal to wipe out this vice from the society.
Thakur said one should always be ready to learn as life teaches us day in and day out. He urged the students to respect their teachers, elders and parents.
Earlier, the CM laid foundation stone of cluster university building at Mandi to be constructed at a cost of about Rs 16.19 crore. An amount of Rs 50 cr has been sanctioned for the cluster university to be setup in the state, initially covering four colleges of the region.