Shimla, July 14 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Sunday laid the foundation stone of a tourism complex at Auhar in Bilaspur district to be constructed at a cost of Rs 33.75 crore.

The complex will feature modern facilities, including a hotel block, a food court and a recreational zone. The project is expected to be completed within two years.

The Chief Minister directed the Tourism Department to ensure the quality of construction work. He said the hotel block would have a reception-cum-waiting area, a restaurant with a seating capacity for 60 people, a conference room for 30 people, a 'dham' hall for 400 people and a banquet hall for 300 people.

The hotel would also offer 40 guest rooms and the food court would accommodate 214 people. The recreational zone will boast a swimming pool, a gym and spa, a pantry, a store, a back office, and toilet facilities on the ground floor.

The Chief Minister said the new complex will epitomise luxury and cater to tourists with its state-of-the-art facilities. He directed the integration of the tourist complex with water sports activities at Gobind Sagar Lake, including speed boats and sailing boats to enhance the visitor's experience and attract more tourists to the area.

"The second phase of the complex will be constructed on the opposite side of the road, with both blocks interconnected. This phase will feature an amusement park for children, a food court and other essential amenities and the entire project will cost Rs 150 crore," he said.

Later talking to the media, the Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the people for reposing faith in the policies and programmes of the Congress government during Assembly bypolls and taking the number of Congress seats in the Assembly to 40 once again. He accused the BJP of conspiring to topple the elected government with Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur repeatedly claiming the formation of the 'double-engine government', which will never materialise.

Sukhu said the people have rejected 'Operation Lotus' and the politics of horse-trading by sending six MLAs home, delivering a strong message against BJP's conspiracy. He asked the Leader of the Opposition and other BJP leaders to learn the lesson from this mandate and adopt a constructive role in the Opposition. He also called on the BJP leaders to advocate for the state's interests with the Union government.

/IANS