The 33-year lease of 280 acres land at touristic resort Malam Jabba in Swat has been awarded to Samson Group wherein the private company will construct one 60-room five-star and 30-room three star hotels as well as install chairlift and skiing resort on this vast scenic area estimating Rs 3.5 billion expenditures within 2-3 years respectively.
This project will prompt all weather tourism activities in the area and this high altitude part of Swat will bring more attraction for both national and international tourists. The Rs 3.5 billion MoU ceremony between the company and Tourism Corporation (TCKP) to this effect was held at KP House Islamabad. KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak was chief guest on this occasion while Provincial Minister for Tourism Malik Amjad Afridi, Additional Chief Secretary Khalid Pervez, Secretary Tourism Azam Khan, TCKP MD Mushtaq Khan, Chairman Board of Investment & Trade (BoIT) Mohsin Aziz, MD Samson Group Hasan Asad and other concerned high ups attended.
Under the deal, the company besides the aforementioned construction and installation works costing Rs 3.5 billion as per global and environmental criteria will pay the lease amount of Rs 12 million to KP government in advance annually with 10% increase per annum and 25% per annum additional increase in case of extension of 20 years more in 33 years lease period.
It is worth mentioning that the task of leasing out this important project was assigned to BoIT chairman Mohsin Aziz who is also a prominent industrialist and investor of KP. Mohsin told that after detailed survey and design works of the project he floated its tenders and there was a transparent completion among tourism and hostelling related companies of national and international local and foreign firms. He said more investment is following after this deal including Theme Park at Nathia Gali, Hotel resort at Changla Gali, Water Sports at Hund Swabi and other tourism related projects in private sector that would bring about drastic change in the area while tourism will get promotion by leaps and bounds.
He while eulogising the acumen of chief minister Pervez Khattak said that reviving the terror hit scenic areas and attracting the private sector in tourism industry of the province speaks a lot of his political and administrative sagacity. He said such a progress is also a slap on the faces of those opponents who blamed that nothing is done in KP. He said Pervez Khattak by freeing all the govt affairs of the political interference and automating the departmental and institutional system in-fact did a marvellous job of far reaching impacts in the province.
Pervez Khattak termed the investment in Malam Jabba project a good omen and lauded efforts of Mohsin Aziz in this respect. He has said that the PTI-led coalition government is giving special attention to the promotion of tourism and for this purpose it is efficiently exploiting all the available resources.
He said the holding of the Snow Festival under the auspices of Pak Army wherein he was chief guest and the participation of large number of tourists from across the country including women and children in this extravaganza was in-fact a big achievement, which he said besides bringing this snow-covered hidden area in limelight, also increased the affection of the people with army. He said there were complaints about condition of road leading to Malam Jabba and he issued orders to KPHA for its early widening and construction works. Similarly BoIT has been given task to install modern chairlift and skiing resort there and launching helicopter service if number of tourists increase there, he added.
The chief minister said that practical implementation of the commitments made with the people during last general elections is being made. He said that unlike past rulers, his govt had never hoodwinked the people through making hallow slogans and tall claims, but had promised change in the system and today they are making efforts for proving them true. He said that they had promised change in the system, eradication of corruption and provision of justice at any cost and they are giving practical shape to it.
Pervez Khattak said that the promotion of sports' tourism is also their agenda and actively working for the revival of tourism activities in Swat, Dir, Chitral, Hazara and Galiyat. He said that concrete measures are being taken for the development of all scenic places in KP including Malam Jabba.
He further said that all public sector rest houses are being handed over to private sector so in future, they should not be occupied by government officials to take free benefits of them rather the general public should enjoy them. He said that they are making all government departments including education and health subservient to the people and in future these organisations will provide day night services to the people and whichever failed in this endeavour would be abolished. He said that such kind of a system is being introduced in which the people will not be required to visit offices and their problems will be resolved while sitting in their houses.
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