WB approaches RITES to upgrade tourism infrastructure

The West Bengal government has sought the expertise of RITES to upgrade infrastructure for promoting tourism in the city, Darjeeling hills and the sea resort town of Digha. "We have approached the RITES, a Central agency engaged in providing engineering consultancy, for a comprehensive and sustainable tourism project in the state. We are waiting for their response," Tourism Minister Rachpal Singh said. Noting that the state has tremendous potential in the field of tourism, he said the state needs to develop infrastructure to draw tourists from other states and abroad. "Infrastructure could be improved on the basis of the RITES report. The cost required for the development could also be known only after the report is received," he said. Two projects -- Kolkata Heritage Mega Tourism Project and Dooars Mega Tourism Circuit -- have been given priority for the year 2011-12, he said. To revive the lost glory of Darjeeling, the tourism department has proposed to renovate and restore some of the iconic heritage properties there, the minister said.

These heritage buildings included Planters' Club, Gymkhana Club, St. Andrew's Church, Darjeeling and Kalimpong Monasteries, etc. The tourism department also has plans to restore houses like Tagore Museum and Sureil Bungalow, associated with Rabindranath Tagore at Mongpu in Darjeeling district.

To promote tea tourism in Darjeeling and the Dooars, the possibility of creating more heritage rooms in tea gardens is being explored, the minister said.

The state government is already working on developing Dalhousie Square, the central business district here, which has been accorded UNESCO world heritage status.

Colonial structures like the General Post Office (original location of Fort William) state secretariat Writers' Buildings, St Andrew's Church, St John's Church and Old Currency Building are located in the area.

With the help of private parties, plans are afoot to introduce water sports activities, special cruises and attractive eateries along the city's river front, Singh said.

The Tourism department is also trying to accord the Indian Botanical Garden, one of the finest repositories of India's flora, as a major tourist spot. It has the potential to be developed along the world famous Kew Garden or the Singapore Botanical Garden, tourism department sources said.

Simultaneously, Digha would also be developed as one of the best sea resorts in the country as desired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had announced that her dream was to turn Kolkata into London, Darjeeling into Switzerland and Digha into Goa.

Besides, the state is endowed with rich bio-diversity with wild life habitats from high altitude to forests of the Dooars to Mangroves of the Sundarbans.