Gorakhpur, 20 March (HS) : Pitching Uttar Pradesh as the country’s spiritual and religious tourism hub, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has implemented extensive reforms to develop and promote the pilgrim spots which will not only give the state a worldwide recognition but will also play a vital role in generating numerous employment opportunities for the locals
“Tourism greatly supplements an economy and creates jobs at the local level. A number of countries are totally tourism-driven economies. Our state government is also proactively promoting the tourism sector with this objective”, said CM Adityanath while laying the foundation stone of projects worth Rs 180 crore for 373 assembly constituencies of the state at Gorakhpur on Saturday.
With the constant efforts of the CM Yogi in beautifying even the extreme corners of the state, UP today stands as the state with limitless possibilities and his government has ushered in a new era of growth and development.
In every assembly constituency, the development and beautification of rural, religious and heritage spots proposed by the legislator will be done under the ‘Chief Minister Tourism Promotion Scheme’.
Under the central roadmap to boost domestic tourism, UP has witnessed the development of maximum religious tourism hubs, which prominently comprise Ramayan Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Sufi Circuit, Shaktipeeth circuit, Adhyatmik circuit, Jain circuit etc. which is yielding conferring results as it is automatically attracting foreign as well as domestic tourists and is also creating employment opportunities for the local youth, whilst is giving a boost to the economy of the regional hotels, markets and restaurants.
Kumbh Mela: local shopkeepers witnessed a surge in sale by 15 times
Referring to the Kumbh Mela, CM Adityanath on the occasion said that the government succeeded in giving the mega-event a ‘global’ recognition with the participation of 24 crore devotees. Prayagraj attracted a large footfall as people flocked to be a part of the auspicious ritual which also enhanced the economy of the local shopkeepers upto 15 times more than the usual.
Kashi’s glory being established on global stage
Throwing light on the sustained efforts of the government in promoting tourism, CM Yogi gave a special mention to PM Modi’s dream project of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. He said that Kashi is going to become the center of the biggest cultural events in the world through the Baba Vishwanath Temple Corridor under the guidance of PM Modi.
During the inauguration of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1916, Mahatma Gandhi was dismayed by the narrow streets and the lack of cleanliness in Kashi. Bapu had made the comment 100 years ago, but today under the guidance of PM Modi, the fame of Kashi is being established internationally.
CM Yogi further said that the government has also carried out the construction of a facility center in Kashi which has not only played a vital role in attracting domestic and international tourists but also has generated employment opportunities for the locals in the region itself. The Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust has raised an additional income of Rs 1 crore, annually from this center.
CM stated that along with the Vedic Shodh Peeth in BHU, Sant Kabir Shodhpeeth is also being established in Maghar of Sant Kabir Nagar. Local places associated with the Jatashankar in Gorakhpur, Gurudwara of Mohammadpur and Kalibari temple are also being redeveloped.
Ayodhya’s Grand Deepotsav set a world record
Hitting at the opposition for neglecting the Ram Janmabhoomi- Ayodhya, CM Adityanath also mentioned the development work going on at the Ayodhya Dham and also stated that the grand Ayodhya Deepotsav broke a Guinness World Record by lighting more than three lakh earthen lamps and keeping them lit for at least 45 minutes on the banks of river Saryu as part of the annual celebration of Diwali.
Flower Petals once rejected are giving employment to many: CM
CM said that the flower petals that used to be considered as a ‘waste’ after being offered to the deities are now giving employment opportunities to the women belonging to the self-help groups of Naxal-affected villages of Chandauli as they are making a living out of those petals by making perfumes, incense and incense sticks. He further added that such a practice can be done anywhere and the soil fertility can also be enhanced by making compost out of these flower petals.
Cleanliness is the top priority of the Govt
CM Yogi also emphasized on the development of tourist places and keeping them clean. He said that the premises of every temple will be renovated and redeveloped with proper roads, parking facilities and will be equipped with adequate sanitation facilities and strict security measures for the convenience of the devotees.
“Only with proper maintenance of hygiene, the government succeeded in curbing the spread of the deadly encephalitis”, said Yogi.
Govt boosts connectivity to spur tourism
The Chief Minister said that to promote tourism, the government has laid extreme focus on transport and connectivity. The facility of air service to Ayodhya Dham will attract people from all over the world. The Kushinagar Airport is all ready to welcome international flights. Gorakhpur already facilitates flights to major cities. Besides, a table-top Airport is being built in Chitrakoot and places like Azamgarh, Sonbhadra, Lalitpur, Shravasti etc will also be equipped with air services soon.
Every tourist spot to have something unique
CM said that all the 403 assembly constituencies will be benefited under the ‘Chief Minister Tourism Promotion Scheme’. The places where proposals have not been received in time will also be given priority by taking proposals from the legislators.
Referring to the public representatives, CM further added that every tourist place should have something unique like Brahmamuhurta will have something like sankirtan.
Earlier, the Tourism and Culture Minister of UP Dr Neelkanth Tiwari welcomed the Chief Minister and others. In his speech he detailed the projects launched by the Yogi government for the development and beautification of tourist places during the last four years.
Prominent among those present on the occasion included Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan, Member Rajya Sabha Jai Prakash Nishad and Gorakhpur Mayor Sita Ram Jaiswal. The MLAs of different assembly constituencies were connected online.
