Amritsar, July 13 (ANI): Known for its rich Punjabi culture, religious environment, and sumptuous food, Amritsar has been a draw for visitors from across the country and abroad for a long time.

Though tourists visit this holy city in big numbers, but to attract more visitors plans are underway to promote it as a major tourist destination.

Founded in Circa 1577 by Guru Ram Das, the 4th guru of the Sikhs, Amritsar literally means a pool of nectar. It derives its name from the sacred pool, Amrit Sarovar, that surrounds the holy Sri Harmandir Sahib popularly known as Golden Temple.

A pilgrimage for the Sikhs, Sri Harmandir Sahib draws thousands of pilgrims and tourists everyday from different parts of the country and world. It also helps Amritsar generate a fair amount of revenue.
But the challenge for the administration is to provide them facilities like accommodation and transportation.

To improve services and infrastructure for the tourists is on top of the agenda.

“People of all religions from across the world visit Sri Harmandir Sahib, Durgiana Temple and Jallianwala Bagh.

And, City’s municipal corporation is dedicated to facilitating their visit. Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) has started a bus service from Amritsar Railway Station to Sri Harmandir Sahib and other pilgrimage sites such as Khadur Sahib and Goindwal Sahib.

Air-conditioned buses also ply for foreign tourists. SGPC is committed to attracting religious tourists to Sri Harmandir Sahib and Amritsar city,” said Ajaybir Pal Singh Randhwa, Sr. Deputy Mayor of Amritsar.

In a bid to offer security and better services to tourists in Amritsar, the Punjab Government recently organised the Tourism Police.

The Centre has agreed in principle to grant five million dollars for developing Amritsar as a major tourist destination. Of that one million dollars have already been sanctioned under the Normal Destination Development Scheme for the city.

It includes conservation of historic and religious places and improvement of facilities for tourists.
“Every facility is available for tourists. But the government should concentrate more on improving air links and railway service. Special attention should also be given to cleanliness because it is only then that tourists from America and Europe who like to visit clean places will speak well about us when they return to their country,” said a tourist.

“The facilities at the Golden Temple are excellent. We have come from Gujarat state and people in Punjab are very hospitable and respectful,” a tourist from Gujarat.

The city boasts of a Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama, located inside the historic Ram Bagh. It’s a major tourist attraction that recreates the life and battles of the legendary Maharaja, through rare pictures and mannequins.

The city, however, lacks proper accommodation for domestic and foreign visitors. And, the hotels would like to start Bread and Breakfast Schemes to meet this shortfall.
“The Centre runs Bed and Breakfast Scheme in Delhi to give foreign tourists experience the warmth of Indian hospitality. But here the local administration says that tourists can only stay at those guesthouses that have been given licenses.

Can’t we open guesthouses and restaurants in the heritage buildings? We want that these heritage buildings should be given a license and training and we are ready to bear all the expenses to make the scheme work,” said Surinder Singh, President of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Amritsar.

The Beating Retreat ceremony at Wagah-Attari border check-post is another major tourist attraction. To draw more tourists, the government has already sanctioned 970,000 dollars for the project Integrated Development of Wagah/Attari Border.

It includes development of tourist facilities and upgradation of surroundings of the international border. (ANI)

Berlin, July 12 (DPA) A family of three had a lucky escape Sunday when their car was struck by a plane performing acrobatics at an air show in the south of Germany.
The stunt pilot was carrying out a series of loopings when he got too close to the ground and clipped the top of the vehicle with the undercarriage of his bi-plane, witnesses said.

The car, which was travelling on the approach road to the airfield in Grossostheim, was catapulted into a field. The plane’s landing gear was torn off in the impact and it also crashed in the field.

The pilot and an adult couple in the car were slightly injured. The couple’s daughter suffered medium injuries.

Police spokesman Karl-Heinz Schmitt said it was a miracle no one was killed in the incident.

Chandigarh, July 13 (IANS) An Indian Air Force training aircraft made an emergency landing in the fields of a Punjab village Monday following a technical snag in its engine, police said.
The aircraft that flew from the Bathinda air force station, some 250 km from here, was on its trial round. It landed in the open fields of Doda village in the outskirts of Muktsar town.

“The small training aircraft of the Indian Air Force made an emergency landing due to some technical problem in the engine,” Jagjit Singh, deputy superintendent of police and investigating officer of the case, told IANS.

“Pilot Y.S. Brar was alone in the aircraft. He managed to come out safely after landing it in the fields away from any crowded place.”

RAIPUR – A day after Maoists struck in Chhattisgarh thrice and killed at least 29 policemen including a district police chief, the state which has been battling Maoist militancy since the 1980s, was put on high alert Monday.

Police forces were asked to be vigilant and cautious while rushing to forested areas for patrolling, as police have received fresh inputs that the banned terror outfit, Communist Party of India-Maoist’s (CPI-Maoist) military wing, People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) fighters are itching for more deadly attacks.

“They are striking now as per their will and we have lost an SP (superientendent of police) rank officer in a Maoist attack for the first time,” a senior official at the state police headquarters here told IANS.

He added: “If the intelligence inputs coming in from western and southern regions of the state are to be believed, the police are going to be under more attacks.”

Police claim that it was PLGA cadres that carried out meticulously planned attacks three times Sunday, right from morning to evening, in the state’s remote western pockets in Rajnandgaon district, bordering Maharashtra, that left a minimum of 29 cops dead and about two dozen injured.

The deceased included Rajnandgaon district SP Vinod Kumar Choubey, 49. He was on top of a hit-list of insurgents for a long time for breaking up the rebels’ urban network in state capital Raipur and the industrial town of Bhilai.

Officials say that about 13 policemen are still missing after Sunday’s attacks that have shaken up the entire police set up as well as the state’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. The opposition Congress has sought urgent imposition of president’s rule to tame the insurgents.

Chief Minister Raman Singh said: “It’s not the time for the opposition to play politics but all political parties, intellectuals and people of the state should rally behind the police who have all the resources and strength to hit back.”