Centre allocates Rs 150 crores for tourism projects in Gujarat

Union Tourism Minister Subodhkant Sahai today announced an allocation of Rs 150 crore for Dwarka, Porbandar and Kabirwad while unveiling a mega tourism project at the Kabirwad on the bank of the Narmada in Bharuch district.

The project which is called 'Mahaparipath' aims to develop a Sufi tourism circuit on the lines of Buddhist and Jain circuits.The Centre would allocate an additonal Rs 50 crore over and above Rs 50 crore for the Kabirwad project and Rs 25 crore for Dwarka and Porbandar each.

Mangleshwsar, Shuklateerth and Angareshwar are also to be developed as tourist spots under the 'Kabirwad Mahaparipath' project. While Kabirwad got its name from the famous Sufi saint Kabir, Dwarka is famous as Lord Krishna's birthplace and Porbandar is Mahatma Gandhi's birthplace.

Stressing the need to boost the tourism sector in India, the union tourism minister added that India was able to attract only 0.5 per cent the world's tourist traffic to India despite the fact that three times more Indians go abroad as tourists.

He also said that partnership with different states and the private sector was the way forward for the tourism sector.

Giving details of Gujarat's tourism plans, Jay Narayan Vyas, tourism minister of Gujarat, said that the state has prepared a plan to develop medical and business tourism by 2025 as well. Prominent among those who were present on the occasion were minister of state for tourism Jitubhai Sukhadia, Gujarat Tourism chairman Kamlesh Patel, parliamentary secretary Yogesh Patel, MPs Mansukh Vasava and Bharatsinh Parmar, MLAs Dushyant Patel, Iqbal Patel and Kiran Makwana, principal secretary (tourism) Vipul Mitra, union joint secretary (tourism) Bharat Kumar, Tourist Corporation managing director Sanjay Kaul and district collector Rupwant Singh, among others.

Leader of the Opposition in Gujarat Legislative Assembly Shaktisinh Gohil welcomed the efforts of developing tourist places along the Narmada, one of the seven major rivers of India.