GTA to begin work on pending tourism projects Road leading to Rock Garden and Ganagamaya Park and watchtower at Tiger Hills to be repaired.

SNS, 21 October 2019, DARJEELING: Tourism is all set to get a boost in the Hills with the GorkhalandTenitorialAdminist ration's (GTA) tourism department planning to start work on 53 tourism projects thathad been pending, including repair of a road leading to populartourism spots ofRock Garden and Ganagamaya Park.

"There were 53 pending work related to tourism, with some of them already started, but not completed, while have not even started. We planto startallthoseworkafter Diwali. Various projects also include renovation oftourist lodges, parks and gardens, restaurants and lakes," CIA's Assistant Tourism Director, Suraj Sharma, saidheretoday.

According to Mr Sharma, they will begin repairing the road that leads to Rock Garden and Gangamaya Park, forwhich a tender has already been floated. lie added that the watchtower atTiger I Ell, another popular tourist draw in Darjeding,which was being upgraded, will be opened for tourists within this year.

The main purpose of the up-gradation of the watchtower was to fit in more tourists to watch th e su nrise, according to Mr Shamia.

Earlier, the tower could fit alesser number of people. The tower was built during the tenure of the erstwhile Darjeeling Concha hill Council (DGLIC) and it had a capacity of holding about 500 people. However, after the new project ofthe GTA is complete, the watchtower will be able to acconuno date around 1,500 tourists. Speaking about the other pending projects, Mr

Sharma said: "Most of the projects are being carried out under the PPP model. Work will begin for th e Water Kingdom, which is being built with Nicco Part Wo rk to build a ropeway from Giddepahar to Ro hin i in Kurseong will also start soon. In Ka limpong, a boating c o mpl ex will be built at Nok Dara with repair of a jeep able road from Lava to Changey Fallsalso to be done."