Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur on Monday said that permission should be sought from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to carry out sports activities such as parasailing, paragliding, water scooter, kayaking, speed boat, cruise boat, water zorbing balls, house boat, shikara, floating jetty and floating restaurant in the Pond dam reservoir.

While presiding over the first meeting of Pong Area Development Board here, he said that possibilities should also be explored for setting up of an Institute of Excellence in Water Sports in collaboration with Indian Navy/ Coast Guard so that it becomes an attraction for tourists. Thakur said that the main objective of the Board is to ensure integrated and planned development of the Pong area and prepare policies and plans to promote tourism and culture in the Pong area and also help in generating employment opportunities. He said the Pong dam would also be developed under the ‘Nai Raahein Nai Manzilein’ tourism scheme.

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He said that there should be clarity in the concept only than desired targets could be achieved. He said that Rs 7.96 crore was being spent under this scheme to develop it as a major tourist’s attraction.

The chief minister said that effective steps must be taken to undertake permissible activities in the area. He said that effective steps must also be taken to attract private funding for execution of tourism projects. He said that steps would be taken to strengthen the Pong Area Development Board. He said that better road connectivity would be provided alongside the Pong Dam area so that tourists could be wooed to visit this destination. Expressing his displeasure over the poor implementation of ADB funded Tranche-I project worth Rs 8.33 crore, Jai Ram Thakur said that inquiry would be constituted in this regard and a report may be submitted within a month to bring out the truth. The chief minister said that activities of Regional Water Sports Centre at Maharana Pratap Sagar, Pong dam must be diversified to attract water sports lovers to this area. He said that lakhs of migratory birds visit this sanctuary area every year thus more watch towers should be erected to facilitate the visitors to have a glimpse of these birds.

He said some key points should be developed in the vicinity at Fatehpur Sub Division to give impetus to bird watching from tourism point of view. Thakur said Ransar Giri Island in the Pong Dam could also be developed as thousands of tourists visit this Island by boats every year. He said that floating jetties should also be provided at various strategic places so that people could enjoy the boating. MLA and Member of the Board Hoshiyar Singh said that the Pong dam area has immense tourism potential. He said that Haripur Guler painting is world famous and needs to be revived. He said that several temples around Haripur need to be renovated to attract tourists. Focus must be laid on development of those areas from tourism point of view which were away from the Pong Dam area.

Chief Secretary Anil Khachi gave various points of view for development of Pong Dam area.