Phulbari to get major facelift on lines of Wagah border

The department has chalked out elaborate plans to establish Phulbari as a centre of attraction. It was learnt that the department has a plan to give the area a complete new, similar to the Wagah border in Punjab.

According to a senior official of the state tourism department, it is believed that Phulbari will soon find a place in the national tourism map as it would get a new shape. Parades will take place here as they do at Wagah border. For this, the tourism department will make necessary infrastructure changes in the area.

Wagah border has been a centre of attraction for people from around the world and also people from various parts of the country, who often come together to witness the parade conducted at the border by the Indian troops.

State tourism minister Goutam Deb, who announced the project on Thursday, said that the state government would take up the issue with the Centre and urge them that they would like to decorate the border. A discussion would be take place with the Bangladesh government as well in this regard.

Deb added that the state government would renovate the various cottages owned by the tourism department in all the tourist sports, including the terrains, Sunderbans, and Dooars. A host of new facilities would be provided to the people who will book the cottages. Tourists will get free Wi-Fi and other advanced facilities in these cottages.

Around 13 tourism projects have been taken up by the department in Jalpaiguri district, while Alipurduar will get four such projects. More cottages and dancing fountains will be set up at various places like Suntalekhola, Kalimpong, Mongpong and Jhalang in Jalpaiguri and Chilapata, Buxa and Bhutanghat in Alipurduar and Bairatidighi in Cooch Behar to attract tourists. Steps have been taken to revamp the cottages that were incurring loss in the past few years.