A foothill belt long defined by its agricultural struggles and geographic isolation is now being positioned as Punjab's next major tourist destination. Chairing a meeting of the Border and Kandi Area Development Board on Thursday, August 6, 2026, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann directed officers to mount a concerted push for tourism development and infrastructure modernisation across the state's Kandi and border areas. Speaking at the meeting, CM Mann was direct: 'The Kandi area has immense potential to emerge as an ideal tourist destination, attracting visitors from across the globe, and the state government is making all-out efforts to further develop this region and harness its vast tourism potential. No stone is being left unturned to develop the region and modernise its infrastructure.'

What the Kandi Belt Is — and Why It Has Been Overlooked

The Kandi region is a sub-mountainous foothill belt that runs along the Shivalik range in Punjab. Historically underserved relative to the state's fertile plains, the area has faced persistent infrastructure deficits and limited economic diversification beyond subsistence farming. The Border and Kandi Area Development Board was created precisely to bridge this gap — a state-level body mandated to channel planned investment into regions that standard development cycles tend to bypass. Punjab governments across administrations have maintained dedicated boards and schemes for these zones, acknowledging that geography alone creates structural disadvantage. What the current Aam Aadmi Party government under Mann is now layering onto that foundation is an explicit tourism lens — an attempt to convert the Kandi's natural landscape into an economic engine.

Tourism as an Agricultural Alternative

The pitch is straightforward: the Kandi belt's proximity to the Shivaliks, its relative quiet, and its scenic character make it a credible candidate for eco-tourism and heritage tourism circuits. Punjab has long been associated with its agricultural heartland, but successive administrations have recognised the limits of an economy built almost entirely on wheat and rice. Tourism in geographically distinctive zones like Kandi offers a path toward income diversification for local communities. The board meeting signals that this is now a coordination priority — not just a policy aspiration — with officers being held accountable for accelerating delivery.

What Comes Next for the Board

The Chief Minister's Office has not announced specific project timelines or budget figures from the meeting. The key watch-point is whether the board's renewed mandate translates into visible on-ground movement: tourism infrastructure, road connectivity, and hospitality facilities that can actually draw visitors. Mann's directive to 'make concerted efforts' sets a political marker — follow-up board meetings and project announcements will reveal whether the momentum holds. For a region that has waited long for its turn in Punjab's development story, the question is no longer about intent. It is about execution.