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Sukhu inaugurates Manali winter carnival
During the event, the Himachal chief minister announced the development of a riverfront project in Manali at a cost of ₹250 crore to promote tourism
Chief minister (CM) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday inaugurated the Manali Winter Carnival-2026 on Tuesday.
Marking the occasion, the CM flagged off nearly 300 colourful tableaux highlighting development activities of various departments.
During the event, the CM announced the development of a riverfront project in Manali at a cost of ₹250 crore to promote tourism. He also announced the construction of five additional rooms in the new building of the Circuit House, Manali; installation of protective walls at seven identified locations for flood protection in the Manali area; construction of a parking facility in Old Manali at a cost of ₹2 crore and financial assistance of ₹25 lakh each for villages Solang and Karal to prevent landslides.
The CM said that Himachal attracts tourists from across the globe due to its natural beauty, cultural diversity, historical heritage and tradition of warm hospitality. Every year, crores of tourists visit the state. He added that the state government was continuously encouraging grand events like the Winter Carnival at major tourist destinations to make visitor’s experiences memorable.
Sukhu further said that tourism is a key pillar of the state’s economy. The government aims to establish Himachal Pradesh as a global hub for nature, religious, adventure, spiritual and wellness tourism. The CM said that rules have been amended to promote home stay tourism and an interest subsidy scheme has been launched for home stay units. For setting up new home stays or expanding and upgrading existing ones, interest subsidy was being provided on investments of up to ₹5 crore, 3% in urban areas, 4% in rural areas and 5% in tribal areas. An online portal for home stay registration has also been launched.
To further promote tourism, priority was being given to the construction of heliports to connect all district headquarters with year-round air connectivity.
He said that Kangra district was being developed as the tourism capital of Himachal. A world-class zoological park was under construction at Bankhandi in Dehra sub-division at an estimated cost of ₹619 crore. Additionally, the state’s first skywalk bridge would be built at Hassan Valley in Kufri, Shimla.
The CM said that government was also exploring the potential of horticulture tourism. Large orchards and clusters of orchards were being developed as part of rural tourism.
CM dedicates projects worth ₹63.56 crore for Manali assembly constituency
CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated and laid foundation for eight projects totaling around ₹63.56 crore during his visit of Manali assembly constituency on Tuesday.
The CM inaugurated up-gradation works of Nathna-Jana road under PMGSY completed at a cost of ₹10.69 crore, up-gradation works of Manali-Kanyal road at a cost of ₹5.04 crore and metalling and tarring works of the Bebli-Jindaud road at a cost of ₹13.19 crore.
