Centre lauds MP tourism campaigns: Yashodhara

Bhopal, Mar 21 (UNI) The Centre has lauded marketing campaigns for promoting tourism in Madhya Pradesh, where hospitality majors Taj and Oberoi groups are also poised to make substantial capital investment, Tourism Minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia announced in the Assembly today.

Replying to the debate on budgetary demands of the Tourism, Sports and Youth Welfare departments for 2007-08, Ms Scindia said that during her 14-month tenure as Minister she succeeded in bringing the Tourism Development Corporation out of the red.

Ms Scindia, who will be relinquishing her post shortly as she was recently elected to the Lok Sabha in a byelection in Gwalior, claimed that multipronged action was taken to promote tourism in the state and enlist the Centre's cooperation for various projects. The Department's budget was also enhanced four-fold.

Several projects to develop tourism potential along the Narmada river were under various stages of implementation. Rural tourism, heritage tourism and spiritual tourism were being promoted in a major way and the state's first heritage hotel would come up at Orchha.

Beautification of archaeological sites at Mandu was being undertaken with the Archaeological Survey of India's cooperation, she said.

Road connectivity was being ensured at tourist sites in rural areas, while the world-renowned tourist destination Khajuraho was being provided air connectivity on all days.

An artificial beach was being developed at the Upper Lake here, while cruising projects were also proposed in different water bodies. A documentation cell was working on unearthing the historical background of many tourist sites.

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