Inbound

‘We still have a long way to go’

Jharkhand has re-emerged on the tourist map as a powerful player with increased tourism budget and several projects in its kitty. Radhika Mathur Bhasin speaks to S K Choudhary, principal secretary, Department of Tourism on its future plans and strategies to present this 'Emerging State' that has an unlimited untapped potential

S K Choudhary IAS, Commissioner & Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Jharkhand

How much budget has been sanctioned to promote tourism in the state?

In the tenth five-year plan, of which this is the final year, a total budget of Rs 100 crore was sanctioned by the state for development of tourism and related activities. Annually, we have earmarked a budget of Rs 24 crore by the state and an additional Rs 20 crore by the Centre.

What is the current tourism scenario in the state vis-à-vis the other states?

Jharkhand is lagging behind significantly when compared to other leading states like Rajasthan, West Bengal, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttaranchal and Kerala. In 2005, Jharkhand received only 40 lakh domestic tourists and a meagre 6,000 international tourists. Tourism has now been given the status of an industry so that we can tap its enormous potential to its fullest.

What is Jharkhand's USP?

Jharkhand has enormous untapped tourist potential; its abundant forests, scenic landscapes, and historical, religious and heritage sites need to be promoted aggressively.

How do you plan to bring Jharkhand among the top destinations in the country?

We are planning to build several new tourist complexes at Sakchi (Jamshedpur), Chandil, Urwan, Netharhat and Betla, which will then be offered to private parties to run it. We have identified 18 roads connecting popular tourist sites. About Rs 100 crore are being spent by the road construction department. We are prioritising pilgrimage and spiritual tourism and are also giving a boost to adventure tourism by identifying dams, lakes and water bodies at Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Urwan and Dhanbad for water sport and amusement activities. We are also planing a golf course on either Chandil or Talaiya Dam area.

Which new tourist circuits have been sanctioned by the central government?

The centre has sanctioned three tourist circuits; Ranchio-Netarhat-Betla, Ranchi Chandil-Jamshedpur and Tirthankar-Bodhisatwa connecting Parasnath (a Jain pilgrimage centre) with Bodhgaya in Bihar (a Buddhist pilgrimage centre)