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Less than 50% of 46 projects sanctioned under tourism ministry’s PRASHAD scheme completed in 10 yrs- PIB

Contact Counsellor

Less than 50% of 46 projects sanctioned under tourism ministry’s PRASHAD scheme completed in 10 yrs- PIB

  • The Rs 40-crore Hazratbal shrine development project, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister is one of the 46 projects sanctioned under PRASHAD Scheme
  • The Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) scheme launched by the Ministry of Tourism in 2014.

Key Highlights

  • The scheme itself has been marred by delays with less than 50 percent (22 projects) completed in the past decade
  • The PRASHAD scheme — earlier called PRASAD since ‘development of heritage sites’ was added to the name only in 2020
  • It is aimed at the integrated development of popular religious, spiritual and heritage sites to provide essential infrastructure
    • Such as parking, pathways, toilets, illumination, tourist information centres, among others, and promote them as popular tourist destinations.
  • Under the scheme, a large number of projects being undertaken are at Hindu pilgrimage sites
    • Including at the Somnath temple (Gujarat), Srisailam temple (Andhra Pradesh), Kamakhya temple (Assam) and Kedarnath (Uttarakhand), among others.
  • Development works have also been sanctioned at other religious and heritage sites, including at Hazratbal shrine and Ajmer Sharif Dargah
    • Development of pilgrimage facilitation at Four Patron Saints, Yuksom (Sikkim);
    • Development of Chamkaur Sahib (Punjab), development of Patna Sahib (Bihar);
    • Development of pilgrimage tourism infrastructure at Zunheboto (Nagaland);
    • River cruise tourism at Varanasi, among others, according to ministry’s reply to a question in the Lok Sabha last month.
  • Delays in identification of implementing agencies as well as approval from the forest department and local authorities
    • The pandemic were to blame for the delay in completion of projects.
  • The delay in implementation of the projects, which has to be executed by the respective state governments
  • Has been due to various factors, such as delay in getting necessary approvals from state authorities, preparation of detailed project reports (DPRs) and availability of land, among others
  • “Some projects like the development of Mathura-Vrindavan as Mega Tourist Circuit (Ph-II) and development of basic facilities at Vishnupad temple, Gaya, Bihar, have had a delay of four years.

Prelims Takeaway

  • Mathura-Vrindavan as Mega Tourist Circuit
  • PRASAD scheme

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