Bengal guest house in Puri by next year

KOLKATA: Tourists from Bengal who complain of the unavailability of hotels during the Rathyatra festival in Puri can now heave a sigh of relief. The state will soon set up a guest house in the beach town. The Mamata Banerjee government has already purchased a one-acre plot near Marine Drive for the purpose.
The initiative was taken by chief minister Mamata Banerjee so that all kinds of tourists from Bengal can get easy accommodation in Puri, especially during Rathyatra which witnesses a huge inflow of people from the state.
Mamata who inaugurated the Iskcon Rathyatra on Wednesday said, “A large number of people from Bengal visit Puri. We are building the guest house for the common people.”
A meeting to this effect was held on Tuesday. Officials of the youth affairs department which will be building the guest house said it will be ready by next year.
According to plans, the guest house will have both a dormitory and well-furnished bedrooms for catering to all kinds of tourists. A part of the guest house will also house a youth hostel, keeping in mind the rush of young tourists and pilgrims. The rooms can be booked from Kolkata. An online booking facility will also be made available. This apart, there will be a food court with varieties of Bengali food.
The state government hopes to conduct tours to Puri from the state through the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation. An information counter will be set up at the guest house so that people from Puri can get all kinds of information about Bengal tourism.
Moreover, there are plans to showcase cultural programmes of Bengal in the guest house auditorium and even dedicate a room which will have crafts from the state on display. In a bid to earn revenue, the state plans to build a conference hall where seminars can be organized.