Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday inaugurated water sports activities at Gobind Sagar Lake located in Mandi Bharari, Bilaspur.
The new activities, which include cruises, shikara rides, houseboats, hi-tech motorboats, jet skis and water scooters, are aimed to boost tourism potential and create employment opportunities for local youth.
Alongside tourism, this initiative is expected to benefit local businesses, particularly women and small entrepreneurs by providing a new marketplace to sell local products. It will enhance the income and foster economic stability of the people of the region.
Speaking on the occasion, Sukhu outlined a vibrant vision for the future of Bilaspur in tourism, saying, “With the development of water sports, alongside initiatives in religious, rural and eco-tourism, Bilaspur is poised to become a premier attraction, comparable to popular destinations like Kerala and Goa.”
The CM, who also took a jet ski ride and cruise, said the ongoing efforts of the government would elevate Bilaspur’s status on Himachal Pradesh’s tourism map.
He revealed that the Bilaspur district administration has been instructed to start the tender process for introducing cruises and shikara rides on the Kol Dam reservoir also. As part of the project, a scenic 30-km cruise route will be developed from Harnoda in Bilaspur district to Tattapani in Shimla district.
Himachal gets first digital library
Sukhu also inaugurated the state’s first digital library at Bilaspur on Tuesday, equipped with essential amenities and seating arrangements for 40 people.
The digital library houses approximately 2,500 books, including offline access to NCERT and CBSE books from Classes 1 to 12. Besides, resources for college courses, competitive exams and various educational books will be available to readers in the digital library.
Flags off Tonglen mobile clinic bus service
The CM later at Dharamshala flagged off a mobile clinic bus service of Tonglen at Circuit House. He said the state government was committed to provide quality healthcare services to people at their doorstep.
“As part of this initiative one health institution in each assembly constituency was being upgraded as a model health institution and Rs. one crore has been allocated for each institution to purchase necessary machinery and equipment,” she said, adding that an action plan was underway to improve health and education services so as to ensure people have access to better facilities.
