(a) whether the Government has any proposal to establish more religious tourist circuits besides Ramayana and Buddhist Circuits;
(b) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise, specially in the North-Eastern States and Uttar Pradesh;
(c) if not, the reasons therefor;
(d) whether there has been any progress so far in this regard; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)
(SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL)
(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the table of the House.
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STATEMENT IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*204 ANSWERED ON 08.07.2019 REGARDING RELIGIOUS TOURIST CIRCUITS.
(a) to (e): Ministry of Tourism under its Swadesh Darshan Scheme- Integrated Development of Theme Based Tourist Circuits is developing tourism infrastructure in the identified circuits, across the country, having tourist potential in a planned and prioritized manner. Under the scheme fifteen thematic circuits have been identified for development including themes covering all the religious/spiritual sites in the country, namely: Spiritual Circuit, Ramayana Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Tirthankar Circuit and Sufi Circuit.
In addition to above, Ministry is developing tourism infrastructure at identified pilgrimage and heritage destinations under its PRASHAD Scheme. Ministry has identified 41 sites in 25 states for development under the scheme namely Amaravati and Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh), Kamakhya (Assam), Parasuram Kund (Lohit District, Arunachal Pradesh), Patna and Gaya (Bihar), Balmeshwari Devi Temple (Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh), Dwarka and Somnath (Gujarat), Gurudwara Nada Saheb, Panchkula (Haryana), Maa Chintpurni (Una, Himachal Pradesh), Hazratbal and Katra (Jammu & Kashmir), Deogarh and Parasnath (Jharkhand), Chamundeshwari Devi, Mysuru (Karnataka), Guruvayoor, St. Thomas International Shrine, (Malayattoor), Cheraman Juma Mosque (Thrissur, Kerala), Omkareshwar and Amarkantak (Madhya Pradesh), Babedpara, West Jaintia Hills and Sohra (Meghalaya), Aizwal (Mizoram), Kohima and Mokokchung Districts (Nagaland), Trimbakeshwar (Maharashtra), Puri (Odisha), Amritsar (Punjab), Ajmer (Rajasthan), Kanchipuram and Vellankani (Tamil Nadu), Tripura Sundari (Tripura), Varanasi and Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri (Uttarakhand) and Belur (West Bengal).
The projects under the above schemes are identified for development in consultation with the State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations and are sanctioned subject to availability of funds, submission of suitable Detailed Project Reports, adherence to scheme guidelines and utilization of funds released earlier. The details of the projects sanctioned under the above schemes in various states including North Eastern States and Uttar Pradesh are annexed. The projects are at various stages of implementation/completion.
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