‘Authority tobe set up to promote tourism’

LAHORE: An independent authority will be established for the promotion of tourism in the province, said Chief Secretary Azam Suleman Khan during a meeting with Adviser to PM, Zulfi Bukhari, held at Civil Secretariat here on Monday. Chairman P&D Board Punjab, Adviser to CM, Asif Mehmood, DG Walled City Kamran Lashari, MD Tourism Development Corporation and other senior officers were present in this meeting. He said all required formalities have been completed to establish and independent Tourism Culture & Heritage Authority (TCHA) for the purpose. The authority will be headed by a Provincial Minister under which Secretary Tourism along with five DGs of various departments will perform their duties. The authority will play its role for the promotion of tourism by providing facilities to the tourists in terms of establishment information centres, management of tour packages provision of re-creational and residential facilities besides arrangements of various events and festivals along with special training in hospitality education, added the chief secretary. Meanwhile, a two-member delegation of Lahore Press Club met with the CS to resolve the issue of B/Block Allottees in Journalist Housing Society. Secretary, Information & Culture Department Raja Jahangir and Director (Public Relations) to CS were also present. The Chief Secretary gave pathetic hearings to the problem raised before him and passed instructions to Senior Member of Board of Revenue, DG Wasa and other departments concerned to resolve this issue at the earliest.