Punjab has mooted a plan to set up the first Film City in Pathankot for promoting Punjabi films in a big way. The Film City will be set up on 100 acre of unused government land in Jugial village near Pathankot.State Tourism and Culture Affairs Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu is taking personal interest in setting up the Film City apart opening a Drama School there. Sources in the department informed that there are proposals to develop Ranjit Sagar Dam, one of the best tourist destinations of Punjab.The minister has also proposed to give a big flip to tourism in Punjab by developing tourist circuits, tapping the potential for religious tourism and improving infrastructure.

Seeking suggestions in this context, Sidhu, recently had a meeting with artistes, historians and other experts in Chandigarh. The minister had invited famous Punjabi singers Gurdas Mann, Pammi Bai, comedian turned-politician Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi and other prominent personalities.On the suggestions, the minister had also asked the officials concerned to chalk out plans for developing Kandi Belt as a tourist attraction. There are proposals to develop religious places as tourist spots, golf courses, rope-way and invite the hotel industry, a senior officer claimed. For the attraction of tourists, the ministers wanted that the hillocks, natural springs and water bodies should be developed impressively.
Keeping in view the poor financial health of the state, the Film City will be developed on the Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis so that the government should earn from this instead of spending huge amount on it. The company will hand over the project to the state government later, it is learnt.This is the second time when the issue of setting up of Film industry has erupted in Pathankot. Earlier, when Bollywood actor Vinod Khanna was elected as Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur, the area residents had raised a demand to set up a film industry here. The project could not be given physical shape due to unknown reasons. Khanna’s dream, when he was Union Tourism Minister, to develop Ranjit Sagar Dam even could not be fulfilled.

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