LAHORE, Dec 31: The Punjab government has withdrawn Rs7 million allocated to improve a motel at Fort Munroe, a hill resort in Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab Assembly heard on Friday during a Question Hour session.

Opposition as well as treasury members showed concern at the anti-tourism gesture as the industry is already at its low, mainly due to poor law and order.

Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism Rana Arshad informed the house the provincial government had allocated Rs7 million in 2009-10 to upgrade the motel at Fort Munroe but it could not spend the sum owing to decrease in tourists at the resort.

“Terrorism is responsible for that,” he argued, pledging to spend even more provided the normalcy returns. But his stance over cut in tourists’ number was contradicted by another answer provided to treasury MPA Nighat Nasir Sheikh which says that 40,000 tourists visited the resort in 2006-07 and the TDCP had earned Rs376,000 in the year. “Considering healthy trend of tourists at the site, the Punjab government has allocated Rs7 million in 2009-10 to upgrade the motel there,” it says.

The answer prompted PML-Q’s Mohsin Leghari and Sheikh Allauddin to draw the attention of the chair to the contradiction in the facts provided to the members.

Mr Leghari asked as how the provincial government could withdraw the allocated money despite the fact that a good number of local and foreign tourists had visited the hill station. When Arshad insisted that the number of visitors had declined, Mr Leghari suggested him to visit the site to know the ground realities. “It is my area and I can tell you better about tourists,” he said.

He suggested Arshad to open up a sasti roti tandoor or subsidized bred scheme at Fort Munroe to attract more visitors.

To another query by PML-Q’s Khadija Omar, Mr Arshad said there had been no tourist resort of the provincial government in Gujranwala division. He said no funds were allocated in 2008-09 to develop any site there.

Mr Arshad also replied to another question by Ms Omar that a tourist resort at Wagah could not be launched for government’s failure to get a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the rangers. “The work will start once we get the NOC,” he said.

Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Khurrum Gulfam also had a tough day as he could not tackle a volley of questions about illegal parking stands, route permits and affairs of the Lahore Transport Company.

Speaker Rana Iqbal Ahmed Khan intervened several occasions to maintain the order in the house as Gulfam’s ‘confused’ replies prompted several legislators to seek clarification.

Samina Khawar of the PML-Q questioned the appointment of Khawaja Ehsan as Lahore Transport Company (LTC) chairman. “This man does not have relevant experience. How can he be appointed LTC head?” she said.

The opposition also expressed concern over Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s keeping health portfolios. “Who is supposed to see health related matters in Punjab when the chief minister is on foreign tour?” Seemal Kamran said. She said that in Jinnah hospital’s outpatient department and labour wards were in poor hygiene.

Earlier, the session began one hour and 45 minutes behind its schedule. The opposition observed a token boycott to show their stand on blasphemy laws. Law Minister assured the house that the blasphemy laws, deemed ‘controversial’ by a section of society, would not be amended.

The session was adjourned till Monday when Q League’s Dr Samia Amjad pointed out quorum.