Comprehensive plan to develop Buddhist circuit

New Delhi, Dec 1: A comprehensive plan is in the offing to develop the Buddhist circuit in the country, a Parliamentary panel has been informed months after it rapped the government for lack of inter-ministerial coordination in this regard.

"A comprehensive plan for Buddhist circuit is being developed by Ministry of Tourism and Culture in consultation with various stakeholders including the Archaeological Survey of India,"

The Culture Ministry has informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Tourism and Transportation. The reply of the ministry presented in Parliament today is part of the report on action taken by the government on the panel's recommendations made a few months ago.

Not fully satisfied with the ministry's reply, the standing committee said it would like to get updated on the development plan of Buddhist circuit as also the "time frame" within which the proposed comprehensive plan would be ready in the next action taken note.

In its report on Demands for Grants of the Culture Ministry tabled in April, the Committee had said that it found "a distinct lack of coordination" among concerned ministries of Culture, Tourism, Civil Aviation, Roads and Highways and the state governments of UP and Bihar in developing a Buddhist circuit by providing easy and fast connectivity as also facilities like hotels, restaurants, taxis, besides safety and security.

The Committee also recommended that the ministry should expedite conservation activities undertaken at various places so that more tourists are attracted. In its April report, the committee had also recommended that the TV commercial campaigns and the print media campaigns should be spread throughout the year to spread awareness about tourism.

PTI