Chandigarh, November 6
There’s nothing unusual about it. You, too, must have felt the need
for sipping a hot cup of invigorating tea or coffee after jogging or
walking for long minutes at Sukhna Lake. The wait will soon be over if
the Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation’s
proposal of setting up a kiosk at the regulatory end of Sukhna Lake is
approved by the Government of India.
In a letter addressed to the authorities at New Delhi, CITCO officials have reportedly sought the green signal for their project aimed at developing tourism in Chandigarh.
Giving
details, CITCO’s Managing Director S.P. Singh asserts, “The
setting up of the kiosk at the lake is being carried out under the
Central Financial Assistance Project for further developing Chandigarh
as a tourist destination”.
If all goes well — the way CITCO
plans — the kiosk would be christened Treetop. “The modalities are
being worked out,” Mr S.P. Singh adds. “The menu and the timing
would be decided only after approval is received from the Union
government”.
But why have another eatery at the lake? Aren’t
residents happy with the existing joint — Chef? “They are,”
another officer asserts, “In fact, Chef is doing real good business
at the lake. That’s the reason we plan to have another joint. This
one will be at the regulatory end, while Chef is at the starting point”.
Officially,
the authorities refuse to divulge more. Unofficially, they agree that
the joint will also gain immense popularity among the youngsters
preferring to “sit and have something away from probing eyes of
elders”.
Officials further reveal that the kiosk currently operating in Sector 10 will be shifted to the regulatory end once the concrete structure being constructed at Leisure Valley is complete.
“Stop
‘n’ Stare — that’s what the kiosk opposite the museum in
Sector 10 was named. Within days of its opening, it gained a lot of
popularity among the young crowd,” the officials add. “That’s
the reason why CITCO decided to develop it on the lines of `Drop in’
in Sector 34. No wonder construction work is on in Sector 10. Once the
job is over, the kiosk would be shifted to the lake”.
The eatery
at the lake will not only cater to the youngsters “having a nice
time away from the maddening crowd” and tourists visiting the spot,
but also to morning and evening walkers, as per the plan.
“The
idea is not just to earn profit, but also to fulfil the needs of
regular visitors to the lake, who wish to have something nice and
refreshing after sweating it out,” the officials claim. “That’s
the reason why the products would be reasonably priced,” they add.