Odisha to spend Rs.80 crore for development of coastal tourism

09 December, Bhubaneswar

Odisha government will spend Rs 80 crore for the development of infrastructure for the Gopalpur-Satpada-Barkul Coastal tourism to be implemented under the Swadesh Darshan scheme of the central government.

Replying to a question of Mr Dibya Shankar Mishra (BJD), Odisha Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda said the work for development of the infrastructure would start soon.

He said the state government has also requested the central government to include Ratnagiri-Udaygiri-Lalitgiri in the Buddhist Circuit under the Swadesh Darshan scheme.

A 108 ft statue of Lord Buddha will be installed at Neulpur near Chandikhole at a cost of Rs 50 crore to woo tourists, the Minister said adding that the footfall in Ratnagiri, Udaygiri and Lalitgiri budddhist has increased significantly after the Biju Patnaik International Airport was made operational.

The minister said out of the total 80 Panthasalas and panthnivases,Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) was operating 20 in commercial line of which 16 are operating in profit and the rest were being operated by Tourism department on promotional basis.

He said instead of opening new Panthasala or Panthanivas, efforts are being made how to make the existing ones more profitable. Mr Panda said steps were taken to develop the property of the Tourism department on PPP mode to optimize the utilization. At present 25 property have been leased out and operating on PPP mode. The minister said very soon a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) would be formulated for the improvement of facilities in Panthanivas and panthasala.

The government, he said has identified 357 sites in the state as tourist destination and provided fund to many for the improvement of infrastructure facilities like providing drinking water and toilet facilities for the tourists.