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India’s Ministry of Tourism is enhancing the country’s tourism infrastructure, emphasising sustainability and inclusivity. Through schemes like Swadesh Darshan 1.0, PRASHAD, and Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development, significant strides have been made in developing thematic tourism circuits across states. These efforts aim to provide integrated infrastructure, promoting local culture, heritage, and ecology.
Under Swadesh Darshan 1.0, the ministry approved 76 projects worth ₹5,287.90 crore, spanning coastal, wildlife, tribal, and Buddhist circuits, fostering regional development and tourism. The revamped Swadesh Darshan 2.0 targets sustainable tourism with 34 more projects for ₹793.20 crore. Concurrently, the PRASHAD scheme focuses on pilgrimage infrastructure, enhancing visitor facilities across 46 destinations with ₹1,621.14 crore allocated.
To boost tourism growth, the budget for these schemes has steadily increased. Here’s a summary of notable projects under Swadesh Darshan 1.0:
PRASHAD Scheme Projects
| State/UT | S. No. | Project Name | Approved Cost (Rs in Crore) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | 1 | Development of Pilgrim Amenities at Amaravati | 27.77 |
| 2 | Development of Srisailam Temple | 43.08 | |
| 3 | Development of Pilgrimage Amenities at Simhachalam | 54.04 | |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 4 | Development of Parshuram Kund | 37.88 |
| Assam | 5 | Development of Pilgrimage amenities at Kamakhya Temple | 29.80 |
| 6 | Development at Patna Sahib | 29.62 | |
| 7 | Development of basic facilities at Vishnupad temple | 3.63 | |
| Chhattisgarh | 8 | Development of Pilgrimage amenities at Maa Bamleshwari Devi Temple | 48.44 |
| Gujarat | 9 | Development of Dwarka | 13.08 |
| 10 | Development of Pilgrimage Amenities at Somnath | 45.36 | |
| 11 | Development of Promenade at Somnath | 47.12 | |
| 12 | Development of Pilgrim Plaza with Queue management complex at Somnath | 49.97 | |
| 13 | Development of Pilgrimage Facilities at Ambaji Temple | 50.00 | |
| Haryana | 14 | Development of Mata Mansa Devi Temple and Nada Saheb Gurudwara | 48.53 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 15 | Development at Hazratbal Shrine | 40.46 |
| Jharkhand | 16 | Development of Baba Baidya Nath Dham | 36.79 |
| Karnataka | 17 | Development of Pilgrimage Amenities at Sri Chamundeshwari Devi Temple | 45.71 |
| Kerala | 18 | Development at Guruvayur Temple | 45.19 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 19 | Development of Amarkantak | 49.99 |
| 20 | Development of Omkareshwar | 43.93 | |
| Maharashtra | 21 | Development of Trimbakeshwar | 42.18 |
| Meghalaya | 22 | Development of Pilgrimage Facilitation at Nongswalia Church, etc. | 29.29 |
| Mizoram | 23 | Development of Infrastructure for Pilgrimage and Heritage Tourism | 44.89 |
| Nagaland | 24 | Development of Pilgrimage Infrastructure at Molungkimong, etc. | 25.20 |
| Odisha | 26 | Infrastructure Development at Puri | 50.00 |
| Punjab | 27 | Development of Karuna Sagar Valmiki Sthal at Amritsar | 6.40 |
| 28 | Development of Chamkaur Sahib | 31.57 | |
| Rajasthan | 29 | Integrated Development of Pushkar/Ajmer | 32.64 |
| Sikkim | 30 | Development of Pilgrimage Facilitation at Four Patron Saints, Yuksom | 33.32 |
| Tamil Nadu | 31 | Development of Kanchipuram | 13.99 |
| 32 | Development of Velankanni | 4.86 | |
| Telangana | 33 | Development of Jogulamba Devi Temple | 38.90 |
| 34 | Development of Pilgrimage and Heritage Tourism Infrastructure | 62.00 | |
| 35 | Development of Pilgrimage Infrastructure at Bhadrachalam | 41.38 | |
| Tripura | 36 | Development of Tripura Sundari Temple | 34.43 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 37 | Development of Varanasi – Phase –I | 18.73 |
| 38 | Development of Mathura-Vrindavan as Mega Tourist Circuit (Ph-II) | 10.98 | |
| 39 | Development of River Cruise Tourism at Varanasi | 9.02 | |
| 40 | Construction of Tourist Facilitation Centre at Vrindavan | 9.36 | |
| 41 | Development of Varanasi – Phase II | 44.60 | |
| 42 | Development of Infrastructure facilities at Govardhan | 37.59 | |
| Uttarakhand | 43 | Integrated Development of Kedarnath | 34.77 |
| 44 | Development of Infrastructure for Pilgrimage Facilitation in Badrinath | 56.15 | |
| 45 | Augmentation of Pilgrimage Infrastructure Facilities at Gangotri, etc. | 54.36 | |
| West Bengal | 46 | Development of Belur Math | 30.03 |
Swadesh Darshan 1.0 Scheme Projects
| State/UT | Circuit / Sanction Year | Project Name | Amount Sanctioned (Rs in Crore) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andaman & Nicobar | 2016-17 | Coastal Circuit Development of Long Island, etc. | 27.57 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 2014-15 | Coastal Circuit Development of Kakinada, etc. | 67.83 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 2015-16 | Coastal Circuit Development of Nellore, etc. | 49.55 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 2017-18 | Buddhist Circuit Development of Shalihundam, etc. | 35.24 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 2014-15 | North-East Circuit Development of Bhalukpong, etc. | 49.77 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 2015-16 | North East Circuit Development of Nafra, etc. | 96.72 |
| Assam | 2015-16 | Wildlife Circuit Development of Manas, etc. | 94.68 |
| Assam | 2016-17 | Heritage Circuit Development of Tezpur, etc. | 90.98 |
| Bihar | 2016-17 | Tirthankar Circuit Development of Vaishali, etc. | 33.96 |
| Bihar | 2016-17 | Spiritual Circuit Development of Kanwaria Route, etc. | 44.76 |
| Bihar | 2016-17 | Buddhist Circuit Development of Bodhgaya, etc. | 95.18 |
| Bihar | 2017-18 | Rural Development Circuit of Bhitiharwa, etc. | 44.27 |
| Chhattisgarh | 2015-16 | Tribal Circuit Development of Jashpur, etc. | 96.10 |
| Goa | 2016-17 | Coastal Circuit Development of Sinquerim, etc. | 97.65 |
| Goa | 2017-18 | Coastal Circuit II Development of Rua De Orum Creek, etc. | 99.35 |
| Gujarat | 2016-17 | Heritage Circuit Development of Ahmedabad, etc. | 59.17 |
| Gujarat | 2016-17 | Heritage Circuit Development of Vadnagar-Modhera | 91.12 |
| Haryana | 2016-17 | Krishna Circuit Development of Mahabharata, Kurukshetra | 77.39 |
(And so on for all the projects in the list)
The sustained investments under these schemes illustrate the government’s commitment to nurturing tourism as a vital sector of the Indian economy. Such initiatives create jobs, boost local economies, and ensure the conservation of cultural and ecological assets for future generations.
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