Chandigarh (IANS) Punjab will spend Rs.1,000 crore [1 crore = 10 million] in the current financial year to conserve monuments of historical importance and provide impetus to tourism sector in the state, Tourism Minister Sohan Singh Thandal said Monday.

Thandal said the government plans to conserve the religious and historical heritage of the state and also generate employment avenues in the tourism sector.

With the increase in arrival of tourists to the state, the state’s hotel industry is witnessing a boom, he said.

Punjab also plans to grant industry status to the hotel sector.

“Various incentives like duty-free electricity and various kinds of VAT concessions have also been extended to hoteliers,” he said.

Thandal added that the central government recently conferred the “Most Progressive State in Tourism” award to Punjab.