(a) the names of tourist spots in the States including Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal which had received foreign aid for their development during the last three years, year-wise;
(b) the criteria adopted to provide foreign aid to such tourist spots; and
(c) the names of tourist spots developed so far through such aid, State-wise?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)(SMT. RENUKA CHOWDHURY)
(a) and (b) : The tourist places are identified for development through foreign aid
on the basis of their national and international importance with emphasis to converge all
resources and expertise to develop these places/circuits to international standards for the
benefit of tourists.However no foreign aid has been received in the last three years for the
development of tourist spots in Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal.
(c): The State wise tourist spots developed so far with foreign aid include Sarnath,
Kushinagar, Piprawaha and Sravasti in Uttar Pradesh and Bodhgaya, Nalanda, Rajgir and
Vaishali in Bihar. An infrastructure development project was undertaken along the Buddhist
circuit in these States and the project wascompleted in the year 1998. In Maharashtra, Phase I
of the Ajanta Ellora Conservation and Tourism Development Project was undertaken at Ajanta and
Ellora with foreign assistance and was completed in 2002. Phase (II) of this Project commenced
in the year 2003 and the locations to be covered under this project are Pithalkhora, Aurangabad,
Daulatabad, Patnadevi, Lonar, Nasik, Pune, Elephanta Caves, Bhaja and Bedsa, Shivneri, Malshej
and Kolvan besides Ajanta and Ellora.