BAHAWALPUR, Sept 29: The Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab has planned to develop a tourist village, estimated to cost Rs3.350 million, near the historical Derawar Fort, about 70 kilometres from here in the desert of Cholistan.

According to a source, the TDCP has decided to gear up its efforts to develop the Derawar Fort and its surroundings to promote tourism in the vast desert.

Under the plan, the proposed tourist village will have the facilities of camping, boarding and lodging, Sifari to enjoy the scenic beauty of desert and other recreations.

The TDCP also began initial work on the establishment of a tourist facilitation centre at a cost of Rs200 million. Under the scheme, which has been included in the ADP of 2007-08, a piece of 64-kanal land owned by the forest department will be acquired near Bahawalpur bypass here. The centre will have 25 rooms to provide boarding and lodging facilities to the tourists.

The TDCP will also install a chairlift at Fort Munro near Dera Ghazi Khan.