NE states should expedite tourism projects: Centre

Aizawl, Apr 17: Union Tourism Ministry has asked the North Eastern states to expedite the implementation of tourism projects sanctioned to the states so far.

Official sources here today said that the ministry officials uttered concerned over inordinate delays of the projects at the recently concluded third North East Business Summit held in New Delhi last week.

They mentioned that the delay in implementing the projects has resulted in skewed utilisation of funds, non-completion of projects and cost escalation.

''The state governments were asked to be diligent and improve the implementation of projects and put in place a sustainable management system to maintain assets on a long-term basis,'' sources said.

They have also advocated the need for adoption of a pragmatic approach among the northeastern states, especially for long-term lease of land for facilitating investments in private sector projects, as the tourism ministry has been consistently providing more than 10 per cent of its budgetary outlay for the development of tourism sector in NE.

UNI