Present Bihar as 'brand' to attract tourists: Nitish Kumar

Patna, Jul 1: With an aim to boost tourism in the state, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today pitched for presenting the entire Bihar as a "brand" and said rebate would be given for bank loans to those investing in the tourism sector.

The entire state should be presented as a brand so that visitors from inside the country and outside know about the tourist spots across Bihar, Kumar, who chaired a review meeting of the state tourism department, said here.

On an average two crore domestic tourists and 10 lakh foreigners come to Bihar every year, he said and stressed that archaeological sites should be developed by tourism department to draw larger numbers of visitors to the state.

The rebate should be given in bank loans so that those investing in the sector do not feel the weight of financial burden and tourism gets a boost in Bihar, tourism secretary Harjot Kaur said in a release quoting Kumar.

The Chief Minister said investors in tourism sector would be provided all facilities extended under industrial promotion policy in the state, she said adding he ordered Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh to hold a meeting in this regard at his level.

A committee was also set up to implement numerous tourism schemes through inter-departmental coordination, Kaur added.

PTI