Ford plans a five star resort in HP

Global auto giant Ford will soon set up a Rs 594 crore (Rs 5.94 billion) tourist resort near Manali in Himachal Pradesh, a project that is widely expected to boost tourism in the state.

The state cabinet has cleared the proposal and the company has been asked to submit a detailed project report in this regard, an official statement quoted Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh as having told a US industry delegation that called on him on Friday.

The tourist resort, which would have three five-star hotels besides cottages and chalets, would be set up in a 200-acre area on the banks of river Beas, the statement said.

Singh said the state government also proposed to set up new tourist resorts between Solan and Rajgarh, Kumarhatti and Nahan, Vaknaghat and in Pabbar valley for which private sector partnership would be encouraged.

The Chief Minister also invited the American industrialists, who included Perseus chairman and CEO, Frank Pearl to fund existing hydel power projects and set up new ones.

Singh also offered support to them to set up bio-technology parks in the private sector. Besides, he invited the private sector to lay expressways in the Shimla and Kangra region, while noting that there was immense scope for establishing five-star hotels.