New Delhi/Chandigarh, March 17: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state unit president and Sangrur Member of Parliament (MP), while speaking in the Parliament on the debate on tourism, said that Punjab had the huge potential of being developed as a prominent tourist destination in the country, given its strategic topography, adding that the idea of tapping its tourism potential, would generate employment avenues for the jobless youth.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhagwant Mann informed the House that there were umpteen religious and historic spots dotting the state which could be brought on global tourism map.
He said the Sri Harmander Sahib, the Durgiana Mandir and the Sri Ram Tirath Sthal in Shri Amritsar, were prominent among them, where devotees from home and abroad throng in their thousands daily, could be developed as a religious tourists destination.
Elaborating on the point, the AAP leader said that another historic spot was, Khatkar Kalan, the birth place of martyr Sardar Bhagat Singh, could be developed as a popular tourist Mecca for those imbued with the spirit of patriotism.
He added that a museum had already been dedicated to the martyr and his two associates, Chander Shekhar and Sukhdev, saying that their all relics associated with the their martyrdom be kept there to enable the tourists visiting the spot reminiscent of the days of the brave trio from across the world.
Bhagwant Mann said that Punjab, the proverbial land of five rivers, had a huge tourism potential at Bhakra Nangal dam, home to migratory birds of different hues, which come flying from distant lands adding attraction to the beauty of spot studded with stunning scenic features.
Offering an open invitation to all members of the House to visit Punjab, Mann said the mammoth reservoir of cerulean waters here could be a place of tourism for enthusiasts from across the world.
The AAP MP further said that Punjab is not only a perfect destination for all kinds of tourism across the country, adding it could be a developed as a perfect spot for sport tourism as the state had made significant contribution in the world of sport by producing top-ranking Olympians, who had brought laurels to the state and the country.
Referring to two prominent villages, Meethapur and Sansarpur villages in Jalandhar district, each bragged of having produced more than ten Olympians, adding that the initiative to develop it as a sport tourism destination would give a big boost to, besides tourism, promote the spirit of sport among the youth of the state, diverting a large number of them from the taking to drugs.
