Public-private partnership: Sindh government decides to identify, develop tourist sites

KARACHI: Sindh government on Tuesday decided to conduct feasibility study of 10 tourist sites and identifying more sites for promoting tourism in the province through Public-Private Partnership. The tourism sites, where the feasibility study would be carried out, include Gorakh Hill Station in Dadu district, Ranikot in Jamshoro district, Keenjhar Lake in Thatta, Nagarparkar in Tharparkar, Achhrro Thar in Sanghar, Mohen Jo Darro in Larkana, Sehwan, Bhit Shah, Drigh and Langh Lakes in Kambar-Shahdadkot, Lab-e-Mehran / Sadhbelo in Sukkur and Coastal Belt of the province.

The decision was taken in a meeting of provincial Tourism and Culture Department, presided over by the Chief Secretary Sindh Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah, and attended by secretary of the department Ghulam Akbar Laghari, secretaries of Planning & Development, Implementation & Coordination departments and the officials of Public-Private Partnership Unit of Sindh government.

Chief Secretary said the province has a great potential of tourism, which needs to be developed. "Sindh government wants to develop facilities for the tourists so that the tourism could be flourished at not only the already existing sites but at several other sites which have so far been neglected," he said and added that such sites would be surveyed with the help of private sector.

Mumtaz Ali Shah said that private sector would be involved to develop the tourist sites like Gorakh Hills, Keenjhar lake, resorts at Indus River like Al-Manzar Jamshoro, Lab-e-Mehran in Sukkur, Coastal areas, Nagarparkar and other sites.

He directed the Works and Services Department to repair the roads leading to the Ranikot and Nagarparkar at the earliest so that the tourists visiting these places do not face any problem.

Secretary Culture & Tourism Akbar Laghari in his briefing told that feasibility study of Lab-e-Mehran and Gorakh Hills has already been carried out while there are plans to build a Theme Park at Mohen Jo Darro and construction of low cost hotels at Sehwan, Keenjhar, Karoonjhar and other places for the tourists.

Chief Secretary directed the Secretary Culture & Tourism to present the feasibility study of Gorakh Hills and Lab-e-Mehran in the next meeting. He also directed the officials of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Unit to incorporate tourism in the agenda of PPP-Policy Board.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020