In a move to boost religious tourism in Punjab, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday approved a 'Sikh circuit tourism plan' worth Rs. 250 crore for developing prominent Sikh shrines in the state.
The decision was taken in a meeting with eminent Sikh scholars, historians and representatives of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), besides senior officials of the departments of tourism and local government, a spokesman informed here on Wednesday. Badal asked the state tourism department for a detailed report to be submitted to the union ministry of tourism.

The project would be undertaken on a central financial assistance and under the public-private partnership mode, tourism principal secretary Geetika Kalhan informed in the meeting. She said three Sikh Takhts in Punjab - the Akal Takht, Kesgarh Sahib and Damdama Sahib -- besides other gurdawaras and Sikh historic places in Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib, Fatehgarh Sahib, Sultanpur Lodhi and other towns would be covered under this tourism circuit.

The CM also directed Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) for necessary steps to lay underground electrical wires in Talwandi Sabo to further the project of beautifying the holy town.