Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 3 Dec: MP from Nainital–Udham Singh Nagar and former Union Minister Ajay Bhatt asked an unstarred question in the ongoing winter session of the Lok Sabha seeking details from the Ministry of Tourism regarding ongoing schemes and funds allocated for the development of mountain tourism circuits. In response, Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat informed the House that 76 projects had earlier been approved for mountain states under the Swadesh Darshan scheme. He added that Swadesh Darshan 2.0, along with the PRASHAD scheme aimed at the development and rejuvenation of pilgrimage sites and spiritual heritage, had also been sanctioned.
Shekhawat further revealed that, under the 2024–25 Union Government scheme titled ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment for the Development of Globally Recognised Tourism Centres’, a total of Rs 3,295.76 crores had been approved for 40 projects across 23 states. The objective of this scheme is to undertake comprehensive development of prominent tourist destinations, along with global-level branding and marketing. Several projects sanctioned under various schemes of the Ministry also fall within mountain regions, including Uttarakhand.
Providing a detailed account of allocations to Uttarakhand, the Minister informed that Rs 34.77 crores had been released in 2015–16 for the integrated development of Kedarnath. In 2018–19, Rs 56.15 crores were sanctioned for creating pilgrimage-related infrastructure at Badrinath Dham, of which Rs 38.38 crores has been released. In 2021–22, an amount of Rs 54.36 crores was sanctioned for pilgrimage infrastructure at Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham, with Rs 10.5 crore released so far. For 2024–25, Rs 100 crores were approved for a rafting base station in Rishikesh, of which an amount of Rs 66 crores has been sanctioned already. In 2023–24, an amount of Rs 19.89 crores was sanctioned for the Tea Garden Experience project in Champawat, with a total of Rs 1.99 crores already released, while Rs 17.86 crores were sanctioned for a rural tourism cluster experience at Gunji in Pithoragarh, of which Rs 1.79 crores has been released. Under the Mana Hut project of the Vibrant Village Programme, an amount of Rs 4.99 crores was sanctioned in 2024–25, with Rs 0.50 crore disbursed already, and Rs 17.5 crores were sanctioned for the development of the Kainchi Dham complex, of which an amount of Rs 1.76 crore has been released. Similarly, under the Vibrant Village Programme, Rs 4.99 crores were sanctioned for the development of the Zandung Festival Ground, with Rs 0.50 crore released. In 2016–17, Rs 76.32 crores were sanctioned for the integrated development of the Kumaon heritage circuit comprising Katarmal, Jageshwar, Baijnath and Devidhura, of which Rs 68.91 crores has been released. Likewise, in 2015–16, Rs 59.7 crores were sanctioned and fully released for adventure sports and tourism activities around Tehri Lake.
Shekhawat further shared that a total of Rs 1,726.74 crore has so far been allocated for the development of tourism circuits in Himalayan states across the country, out of which Rs 1,200.46 crore has already been released.
