The Ministry of Tourism has launched an innovative project to showcase the rural life, art, culture and heritage, thereby benefiting the local community economically and socially. 55 such projects across the country have been sanctioned upto Rs. 50 lakh each for infrastructure development. Chairing the meeting of Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to her Ministry, Smt. Renuka Chowdhury, Minister of State for Tourism informed the Members that objective of the scheme is to benefit the local community economically as well as enable interaction between tourists and local population for mutually enriching experience. Tourists’ visits to experience rural India and to live in a relaxed and healthy environment would lead more job generation and promotion of local art, handicrafts and culture.
Under the scheme roads will be improved within the Panchayat limits, surroundings of the villages and landscaping of parks and ponds will be improved, illumination will be arranged, funds will be provided for solid waste and sewerage management, wayside amenities and tourists accommodation will be created. All this work being done through a convergence committee headed by the District Collector and funds are being released directly to the implementing agency as recommended by the State.
Smt. Renuka Chowdhury said that beside this a project is also being run with the support of UNDP to built capacity at a local level at these rural destinations with Rs. 20 lakh for 31 rural destinations. A NGO has been involved an implementing partner for each side in consultation with the District Collector to facilitate community participation. Under the scheme local folk will be trained in hospitality related professions such as lodging, cuisine and guiding. Women, unemployed youth and disadvantage groups will be given priority for this purpose. Not only this, training will be provided for better packaging of craft and culture products. Creation of common facilities like gram jharokhas, vishram sthals, using traditional skills and local materials will be encouraged. Setting up of gram kala kendras-craft museums and centers for local music, theatre and dance will be facilitated under the scheme. Mrs. Chowdhury expressed the hope that the rural tourism initiative would provide a solution to urban centric development problems and provide more opportunities in rural areas. She said that Ministry of Tourism has decided to market these rural destinations through overseas offices. A package targeting the youth is being prepared which will include stay in a relax and healthy environment of rural destinations and to learn local craft, she added.
55 rural destinations selected with the consultation of State Governments are as follow:
Pochampalli, Konaseema Village, Puttaparthi, Chinchinada and Srikalahasti in Andhra Pradesh, Durgapur, Dehing-Patakai Kshetra and Sualkuchi in Assam, Nepura Village in Bihar, Chitrakote Village and Champaran in Chhattisgarh, Kotla Mubarakpur and Nangli, Razapur in Delhi, Tera Village, Hodka and Navagaon and Malegaon in Gujarat, Jyotisar in Haryana, Nagar and Paragpur in Himachal Pradesh, Drung Village, Surinsar Village and Gagangir Village in J&K, Kokkare Bellur, Attiveri Bird Century, Banvasi District, Anegundi and Coorg in Karnataka, Kumbalangi, Arnamula and Balrampur Village in Kerala, Hatwa Village, Chaugan and Pranpur in Madhya Pradesh, Sulibhanjan-Khultabad in Maharashtra, Mopunchupket in Nagaland, Raghurajpur and Pipli in Orissa, Neemrana and Samode Village in Rajasthan, Lachen Village in Sikkim, Kaxhugumalai, Theerthamalai, Karaikudi, Chettinadu, Devipattinam and Thirukurungudi in Tamil Nadu, Kamlasagar and Champui Hills in Tripura, Jageshwar, Agora village and Mottad in Uttaranchal, Ballabhpur Danga and Village Sonada in West Bengal.
Appreciating the initiative Members of Parliament suggested integrated development of tourism destinations with better road and air connectivity. They also suggested training of police personnel to facilitate tourists and nationalization of taxes on tourist vehicles. The meeting was attended by S/Shri Lal Singh, Chander Kumar, Bhanwar Singh Dangawas, Pankaj Chaudhary, Nihal Chand Chauhan, Shrichand Kripalani, Sukhbir Singh Badal, Parasnath Yadav, Prasanna Acharya, V.K. Thummar, Shripad Yasso Naik, Chandan Mitra, Tarini Kanta Roy and Ajay Singh Chautala, Smt. Jamana Devi Barupal and Ms. Pratibha Singh.
NCJ/DT
(Release ID :10182)