Lok Sabha Question No. 2201 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-02
Subject: Development of Worship Places as Tourist Spots
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: Sadashiv Kisan Lokhande, Chandeshwar Prasad, Abdul Majeed Ariff

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†2201 ANSWERED ON 02.08.2021

## DEVELOPMENT OF WORSHIP PLACES AS TOURIST SPOTS

## †2201. SHRI SADASHIV KISAN LOKHANDE:

SHRI CHANDESHWAR PRASAD:

ADV. A.M. ARIFF:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) the list of places declared as National Pilgrim Centres in the country till date;
- (b) the number of places of worship developed as tourist spots in the  various  States  of  the  country  during  the  last  three  years including  Bihar  particularly  Barabar  Hills  in  Jehanabad  along with the details of funds allocated for the purpose during the last three years, State-wise;
- (c) whether  the Government  has  prescribed  any  criteria for declaring  a  place  of  worship  as  a  National  Pilgrim  Centre (NPC) and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government intends to declare Sabarimala as a NPC as requested by the State of Kerala and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the  names  of  places  of  worship  which  are  proposed  to  be developed  as  tourist  spots  in  various  States  including  Bihar during the current year?

## ANSWER

(SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

MINISTER OF TOURISM

(a),  (c)  &  (d):  Ministry  of  Tourism  neither  declares  any  spot  as National Pilgrim Tourism Centre nor does it maintain any list of such Centres.    However,  Ministry  of  Tourism,  under  the  schemes  viz., Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)  and  'Integrated  Development  of  Theme  Based  Tourist

Circuit  in  the  Country,  Swadesh  Darshan  (SD)"  provides  Central Financial Assistance for infrastructure development and beautification of tourist spots on receipt of DPRs submitted by State Governments / Union Territories  in  adherence  to  the  guidelines  of these  schemes,  subject  to  availability  of funds, liquidation of pending utilisation certificate against the fund released earlier and position  of  physical  execution  of  the  projects  approved  to  the respective state / UT earlier. (b) and (e):  Approval of new projects under PRASHAD and Swadesh Darshan Schemes is a continuous process subject to the conditions mentioned  in  above  para.  Details  of  the  projects  approved  for development  of  pilgrimage  /  religious  places  in  various  States  / Union  Territories,  including  in  the  State  of  Bihar  and  also  for Sabrimala in Kerala and the projects approved across the country during the last three years and the current year is annexed.

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ANNEXURE

STATEMENT IN REPLY TO PARTS (b) & (e) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†2201 ANSWERED ON 02.08.2021 REGARDING DEVELOPMENT OF WORSHIP PLACES AS TOURIST SPOTS

## A. DETAILS OF THE PROJECTS APPROVED UNDER PRASHAD SCHEME DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS AND THE CURRENT YEAR.

| Sl. No.   | Name of the State / Union Territory   | Name of the Project                                                                          | Project Cost (Cr. Rs.)   | Amount Released (Cr. Rs.)   |
|-----------|---------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------------|
|           | Year 2018-19                          |                                                                                              |                          |                             |
| 1         | UTTARAKHAND                           | Development of Infrastructure for Pilgrimage Facilitation in Badrinath Ji Dham (Uttarakhand) | 39.24                    | 20.79                       |
| 2         | Gujarat                               | Development of Promenade at Somnath                                                          | 47.12                    | 44.76                       |
| 3         | Uttar Pradesh                         | Development of Govardhan, Mathura                                                            | 39.74                    | 21.87                       |
| 4         | Jharkhand                             | Development of Baidyanathji Dham, Deoghar                                                    | 39.13                    | 20.58                       |
| 5         | Nagaland                              | Development of Pilgrimage Facilities in Nagaland                                             | 25.26                    | 13.49                       |
|           | Year 2019-20                          |                                                                                              |                          |                             |
| 6         | Haryana                               | Development of Nadasaheb Gurudwara and Mata Mansha Devi Temple in Panchkula District         | 49.52                    | 20.18                       |
|           | Year 2020-21                          |                                                                                              |                          |                             |
| 7         | Meghalaya                             | Development of Pilgrimage Facilitation in Meghalaya                                          | 29.32                    | 6.53                        |
| 8         | Chhattisgarh                          | Development of Maa Bamleshwari Devi Temple, Rajnandgaon, Dongargarh, Chhattisgarh            | 43.33                    | 12.16                       |

| 9   | Arunachal Pradesh   | Development of Parasuram Kund, Lohit                                                                                     | 37.88   | NIL   |
|-----|---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|-------|
| 10  | Madhya Pradesh      | Development of Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh                                                                                | 49.99   | NIL   |
| 11  | Sikkim              | Development of Pilgrimage Facilitation at Four Patron Saints, Yuksom, Sikkim                                             | 33.32   | 9.50  |
| 12  | Telangana           | Development of Jogulamba Devi Temple, Alampur, Telangana                                                                 | 36.73   | 5.14  |
| 13  | Tripura             | Development of Tripura Sundari Temple, Udaipur, Tripura                                                                  | 37.84   | 10.59 |
|     | 2021-22             |                                                                                                                          |         |       |
| 14  | Uttarakhand         | Augmentation of Pilgrimage Infrastructure Facilities and Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham in Uttarakhand under PRASHAD Scheme | 54.36   | NIL   |

- B. DETAILS OF THE PROJECTS APPROVED UNDER SWADESH DARSHAN SCHEME FOR THE STATE OF BIHAR AND FOR SABRIMALA, AND THE PROJECTS APPROVED DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS

| Name of State   | Name of Circuit & Year      | Project Name                                                                                                      |   Amt. Sanctioned Cr. Rs. |   Amt. Released Cr. Rs. |
|-----------------|-----------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------|
| Kerala          | Spiritual Circuit (2016-17) | Development of Sabarimala - Erumeli- Pampa-Sannidhanam as a Spiritual Circuit in District Pathanamthitta, Kerala. |                     99.99 |                   20    |
| Kerala          | Spiritual Circuit (2016-17) | Development of Sree Padmanabha Temple, Aranmula- Sabrimala                                                        |                     92.22 |                   73.77 |
| Kerala          | Spiritual Circuit (2018-19) | Development Sivagiri Sree Narayana Guru Ashram- Arruvipuram-                                                      |                     69.47 |                    1.61 |

|               |                              | Kunnumpara Sree Subrahmania- Chembazhanthi Sree Narayana Gurukulam                                              |       |       |
|---------------|------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------|-------|
| Bihar         | Spiritual circuit (2016-17)  | Integrated Development of Kanwaria Route: Sultanganj- Mojma- Banka.                                             | 44.76 | 42.52 |
| Bihar         | Spiritual Circuit (2017-18)  | Development of Mandar Hill &Ang Pradesh.                                                                        | 47.52 | 38.02 |
| Bihar         | Buddhist Circuit (2016-17)   | Construction of Convention Centre at Bodhgaya                                                                   | 98.73 | 78.91 |
| Bihar         | Tirthankar circuit (2016-17) | Development of Vaishali- Arrah- Masad- Patna- Rajgir- Pawapuri- Champapuri.                                     | 37.19 | 26.19 |
| Maharashtra   | Spiritual Circuit (2018-19)  | Development of Waki- Adasa- Dhapewada- Paradsingha- Chota Taj Bagh- Telankhandi- Girad                          | 54.01 | 24    |
| Uttar Pradesh | Spiritual Circuit (2018-19)  | Development of Jewar- Dadri-Sikandrabad- Noida-Khurja-Banda                                                     | 12.03 |  8.83 |
| Uttar Pradesh | Spiritual Circuit (2018-19)  | Development of Gorakhnath Temple (Gorakhpur), Devipattan Temple (Balrampur) and Vatvashni Temple (Domariyaganj) | 15.76 |  9.46 |

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