NEW DELHI: Aiming at development of world-class infrastructure to promote tourism and heritage, the Swadesh Darshan Scheme (SDS) has successfully completed theme-based circuit projects in 22 states. As per the minister of tourism, at least 44 projects in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Goa, West Bengal and Telangana are complete while a dozen projects in Andaman and Nicobar Island, Bihar, and Jammu and Kashmir are on the verge of completion as more than 90 per cent progress has been achieved.
Since the launch of the scheme in 2014-15, the government released Rs 4,599.3 crore against a total allocation of about Rs 5,300 crore for 76 projects. A couple of states and union territories (UTs) have miserably been trailing, therefore the Centre has clearly apprised them that it would not sanction new projects under revamped — SDS 2.0-for them.
“The ministry of tourism has issued instructions that new project under Swadesh Darshan scheme 2.0 will not be sanctioned to the States or UTs, which fail in the successful completion of the already sanctioned projects,” union tourism minister G Kishan Reddy last week stated in Lok Sabha while responding to the questions about the success story of the scheme.
Punjab, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Tripura and Odisha are among the states, where projects sanctioned under this one of the flagship schemes of the ministry to boost the tourism sector, are yet to be completed.
They are at different stages of progress; between 28 and 87 per cent. Under SD2.0, the target is to develop sustainable and responsible destinations with a tourist and destination-centric approach. To ensure success, the tourism ministry has started a process to engage consultants for project development and management for planning, supervision, and also monitoring of the scheme at the destination level.