The government says 27 new sites have been identified for development under the PRASHAD programme

Twenty-seven new sites have been identified for development under the Centre’s PRASHAD programme, the government informed Parliament on Monday.

Union Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy said this in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

He said 57 destinations have also been identified for development under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 programme.

The Union Ministry of Tourism launched the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) and Swadesh Darshan programs in 2014-15 for developing infrastructure at tourist destinations, including religious sites.

The primary objective of the PRASHAD program is to develop tourism infrastructure at pilgrimage and heritage sites, ensuring a more enriching experience for pilgrims and heritage enthusiasts. The Swadesh Darshan program aimed to develop theme-based tourism circuits, Reddy said.

The ministry has now revamped Swadesh Darshan as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 with an aim to develop sustainable and responsible tourism destinations by following a tourism and destination-oriented approach, he said.

“A total of 46 projects are sanctioned to the tune of Rs 1,631.93 crore and 76 projects are sanctioned to the tune of Rs 5,294.11 crore, under PRASHAD and Swadesh Darshan schemes respectively,” the minister said in his reply.

The ministry promotes tourist destinations and tourism products of the country in a holistic manner. It seeks to position India as a preferred tourist destination in tourism generating markets, under the Incredible India brand, to promote various tourism products and destinations in the global tourism market through an integrated marketing and promotional strategy and a synergistic collaborative campaign with the travel industry. , state governments and Indian missions abroad, Reddy said in response to another question.

First print: February 5, 2024 | 5:27 PM IST