PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has approved the recruitment of employees for the newly established Culture and Tourism Authority (CTA) along giving a nod to several other measures to boost tourism activities in the province.
The decisions were made at a recent meeting of the Board of Directors of KP Culture and Tourism Authority (CTA) chaired by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, said an official handout.
Member Provincial Assembly Ayesha Bano, Additional Chief Secretary Shakil Qadir, Secretary Tourism Abid Majeed, Secretary Communication and Works Department Ijaz Hussain Ansari, Secretary Finance Atif Rehman, Secretary Environment Shahidullah, Director-General KP-CTA and private members of the board attended the meeting.
Besides, the recruitment plan for the newly established CTA, the board approved annual grant-in-aid 2020-21 for the authority and regulations for the scrutiny committee constituted for the absorption of Tourism Corporation KP employees into authority.
The meeting was told that, under the recruitment plan, 77 employees would be recruited in the first phase, 17 in second phase and 15 employees in the third phase.
The recruitment process would be completed by December, this year whereas appointments to top administrative posts of authority would be made on deputation bases. It was decided to revive Steam Engine Train Safari from Peshawar to Attock Khurd and from Peshawar to the famous archaeological site Takht Bhai. A Motorsports Arena would be set up in the Nowshera district under Public-Private Partnership.
Besides motorsports and indoor game facilities, the proposed Motorsports Arena will have horse riding, rafting, boating, swimming, family huts, a shopping centre, hotels, restaurants and many more.
The meeting was informed that a project with an estimated cost of Rs3044 million had been approved for the construction of two different access roads to the historical Shaikh Badeen tourist site in the southern part of the province.
Multiple projects of construction of access roads to tourist spots, development of Mahodand lake Swat and development of tourist spots in various districts including newly merged areas had been reflected in the Annual Development Programme.
The forum was apprised that land acquisition process for the establishment of Tourism Zones in Ghanol Mansehra, Madaklasht Chitral, Thandiani Abbottabad, and Mankial Swat was underway while work on Master Plans and feasibility study of the above mentioned Tourism Zones would be started next month. Eight new sites have been identified for setting up of Tourism Zones.
The chief minister directed the officials concerned to expedite work on the absorption of TCKP employees into CTA while ensuring strict adherence to the rules and regulations.
Meanwhile, Secretary Sports, Tourism and Culture Department Abid Majeed said the steam safari train would chug on two rail routes to take tourists and passengers to the two historical destinations.
He said that on one route, the steam safari would take tourists and passengers from Peshawar to Attock Khurd while on the other route it would take tourists from the provincial capital to the historic archeological sites in Takhtbhai.
The work on the two rail routes, he added, would be carried out by the newly-established Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority in collaboration with the Pakistan Railways.
The secretary said that tangible steps were being taken for the promotion of heritage tourism in the province to create employment opportunities for the youth on one hand and
generate revenue on the other.
The Khyber Steam Safari to Landikotal was one of the main tourist attractions in the province and ex-Fata for foreign and domestic tourists for decades.