UP chief secretary reviews Agra tourism projects

Uttar Pradesh's top bureaucrat Sunday reviewed progress of the Rs.140 crore Taj Ganj development project and asked officials to make all efforts to modernise the city's infrastructure so as to entice tourists into staying longer.

The project includes make-over of 15 slum clusters and upgradation of more than 900 private toilets, re-laying of street roads and underground power transmission lines. This project was cleared by the Supreme Court on July 15 this year.

Visiting the project sites, Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Javed Usmani also instructed the Agra Development Authority to work on a Mughal Museum project.

He also visited the site for the upcoming Theme Park in village Rehan Kalan.

Interacting with district officials at the Circuit House, Usmani said tourism in Agra region had tremendous potential and could speed up economic development.

He stressed that the tourists' stay in Agra should now extend to a couple of days, but noted that for this, infrastructural facilities had to be broad-based and upgraded.

He said the Taj Ganj project will undoubtedly change the profile of the whole area and would be found attractive by tourists. "But the general ambience have to improve, the standards of hygiene and cleanliness, sewer lines and roads have to be modernised," he added.