As the government in Chandigarh makes plans to develop the sleepy village of Sarangpur into an educational zone, it has also given Unitech the go-ahead to set up an amusement park in the area.

The sleepy village of Sarangpur on the outskirts of Chandigarh may be the next new address that city can boost of. Besides plans to set up education city, amusement park, theme city, a film and entertainment city, the UT Administration is also gearing up to acquire an additional 638 acres.

According to senior Administration officials, 434 acres have so far been acquired in the village for the ambitious multi-crore projects. With acquisition of 638 more acres in 2007, the entire area to be developed by the Administration would go up to 1,072 acres. They added that the process of land acquisition would begin soon.

While projects like the education city and the amusement and theme park have already got off base- expression of interests have already been called to invite applications for educationalists, and Unitech has been given the go-ahead to make the amusement and theme park. .

Nicco Park was dazzling with glitterati this Durga Puja. The 'Raas Dandia 2006' was held at Nicco Park, Salt Lake, Kolkata.

The event was a star-studded one with a host of national Bollywood celebrities and TV stars gracing the park across 4 days. The highlights of the Program included a performance by the top five finalists of Little Champs, a popular Zee TV show. The young stars captivated the audience with their golden voice and an enthralling performance.

The popular Bollywood siren, Mallika Sherawat performed and shook a leg during the Dandia amidst a packed house and an enthusiastic crowd. The other celebrities who made this show really special were Rakhi Sawant, Hussain of KumKum fame, Payal Rohtagi, among others.

The 4 day event was a huge success with thousands of visitors flocking to the venue: Wet-Owild Beach Tropicana, the water park at Nicco. The event was well-received across the city and won accolades from visitors, celebrities and press alike.

Pragati Green Meadows & Resorts Pvt. Ltd. was honoured by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department. The Department awarded Pragati Resorts the prestigious and coveted Eco-Tourism Award for Excellence 2005-06.

The Award was formally presented by the state's Honourable Chief Minister Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy Garu to Mr G.B.K. Rao, Chairman, Pragati Resorts on the World Tourism Day held on September 27, 2006.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman, Pragati Resorts, Mr G.B.K. Rao suggested establishment of State Tourism Development Authority under the aegis of the State Government; with representatives drawn from departments of Tourism, Travel, Agriculture, Horticulture, Medical & Health, Archaelogy and Endowments. He went on to add that the Governments should work out a comprehensive policy to facilitate rapid growth of the tourism sector in the state.

Earlier in September, at another formal function, the Chief Minister released Pragati's unique publication 'Medicinal flora on Pragati Resorts.' The function was held in connection with Indian Travel Congress 55th Convention & Exhibition of TAAI conducted at HITEX.

NOIDA Entertainment City, a proposed amusement park in the Delhi NCR, unveiled its first ride, Mega Disk'O, to a select group of kids and media earlier this year.

The estimated cost of the entire project is Rs 1,000 crore. Spread over an area of 147 acres with 85 per cent of the land dedicated to the amusement park and the remaining 15 per cent for the commercial purpose, the park would feature 30 rides, which would be supplied by the European manufacturers.

The park would be divided into three different entertainment zones. Each zone would have its own set of rides and food courts.

Following the delaying controversy over the Himalayan Ski Village project, the Himachal government has decided to invite global bids for six major tourism ventures to be implemented in the private sector.

The six sites being offered for various activities include golf courses at Baddi in Solan and Raison in Kulu, a health resort at Jhatingri in Mandi, a spa resort at Craignano near Shimla, tourist resort near Saketi Fossil Park and eco-tourism project at Shoja in Banzar.

 

About a dozen major tourism projects are under implementation in Andhra Pradesh at a capital cost of Rs 700 crore.

A few more projects costing a few hundred crores of rupees are also on the anvil, according to Minister for Tourism Dr J Geeta Reddy. The new projects included star hotels, urban entertainment centre, health spas, multi-theme park, convention centres, food courts, etc.


Highlights:
 

• An urban entertainment centre with mega shopping mall, multiplexes, business convention centres, ethnic bazaar and other unique theme parks is coming up at a 5.61 acre at Bashirbagh in the City.
   

• An eco-friendly spa with organic food restaurant is planned at Durgam Cheruvu (Secret Lake) in Jubilee Hills area. A drive-in-theatre-cum-parking facility with ethnic food courts is also planned opposite Shilparamam near Hitec City at Madhapur.
   

• AP, along with neighbouring states, has taken up a project to introduce a luxury train to explore the splendour of south Indian states -- AP, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Karnataka and Kerala.
   

• Four major tourism projects are also being implemented in the port city of Visakhapatnam on the north Andhra coast. This includes a unique multi-theme park is coming up at Kapuluppada along the Beach Road on a 40-acre site at an estimated cost of Rs 20 crore.
   

• With all this activity in the tourism department, talks are on to provide subsidies and development funds for the various projects being undertaken as a part of this overall development.