Big push being given to infrastructure creation for tourists visiting state: Bihar Tourism Director
3 min readPanaji: Bihar Tourism Director Ashok Kumar Singh, IAS, has said that the state government is giving a big push to creation of infrastructure for the benefit of tourists visiting the state.
Speaking to UNI, Mr Singh, who was in the city to attend India Travel Mart (ITM) GOA, a prominent International Travel and Tourism Exhibition of the country, last month, said,’ Most important thing is that whenever a tourist is visiting some destination, certain basic infrastructure should be available. Our government has gone a very long way for creating and constructing world class infrastructure touristic destinations. Being it a centenary year of Champaran Satyagraha, we are developing Gandhi Circuit at an investment of Rs 50 crore. We are developing it for the intellectuals, academicians and people who want to visit places associated with Mahatma Gandhi. It will come up at Chandrahia in East Champaran district. We creating a huge monument there with sound and light programme on Mahatma Gandhi. Similarly, there is a second place called Bhitiharwa (in West Champaran district) where there is an Ashram. That Ashram is being reconstructed. There will be Gandhi park, animated things, auditorium and a huge statue of Mahatma Gandhi. Besides that there are some 20 other places where Mahatma Gandhi had visited. There will be oblisque and other sinadge and basic facilities, park and parking.’
‘We are developing Mandar Hills and Ang Pradesh with an investment of Rs 50 crore. We are developing a craft village in Bhagalpur district. There are certain temples also which are being developed. Chandi Sthan in Munger is also being developed. There is a Jain temple also in the Mandar Hills. That is also being developed,’ he said.
He informed that Kanwaria route was being developed with an investment of Rs 50 crore.
‘Kanwaria stands have been created. Cafeteria is being provided and dharmashala is being constructed so that when faithfuls go to the temple, they get basic facilities,’ he said.
‘We have invested Rs 50 crore on development on Patna Sahib. The amount was received from the Centre. We have invested Rs 50 crore on certain destinations which are very important for the followers of the Jain religion. We are providing basic facilities at those destinations most of which are at the top of the hills,’ he said.
He said ten rope ways were being constructed in the state making it single state in the country to have ten ropeways.
‘We are pushing up different Mahotsavas which are being organised in the state. Recently state government provided facilities for holding Prakash Parva. We are thinking of providing more facilities to pilgrims visiting the state during Pitripaksha,’ he said.
‘We have come up with new industrial policy in 2016 and tourism investment policy is a part of that. We are providing interest subvention of Rs 10 crore to anyone who comes in Bihar and invests in areas like entertainment park, amusement park, ropeways, hotels etc, provided that they are within the radius of ten km of identified tourism destinations,’ he added.
Stating that the government was playing role of a facilitator, he said whatever was required for promotion of tourism from the point of view of infrastructure would be provided by the Government of Bihar.
Courtesy: UNI
