Kullu: Himachal Pradesh governor Bandaru Dattatreya on Tuesday chaired a meeting with officials and public representatives in Keylong during his visit to Lahaul and Spiti and said there is immense scope for tourism as the area is very quiet. He also tried his hand at skiing in the North Portal of Rohtang Atal Tunnel.
Dattatreya also sought information about areas of skill development, village development, tourist guides, bio-diversity etc. and stressed on the need to work specifically on these areas.
He said that efforts should be made to preserve and promote the rich culture and ancient heritage of the local tribal district of Lahaul Spiti, as well as to increase the economy of the people by promoting the herbs and plants of the area.
Adding that earlier Lahaul Spiti was cut off from the rest of the world for five to six months due to the closure of Rohtang Pass, he said with the opening of Atal Tunnel Rohtang, the possibilities of tourism have increased immensely.
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He also said that traditional dishes should be served to attract more tourists.
Along with this, Dattatreya also appealed to promote natural farming so that the income of the tribal people can be increased. He said that the development of the district is possible only with the cooperation of everyone associated with the project.
He instructed the officers to formulate a concrete policy to promote the rich culture of the district and to strengthen the economy of the people, as well as to promote self-oriented schemes.
The Governor was traditionally welcomed by the District Administration where the Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Rai presented him with the famous Thanka painting of the district, a power-point presentation on the outline of sustainable tourism in Lahaul was also held. On this occasion, all the district officials and some public representatives including Assistant Commissioner Rajesh Bhandari also participated.
