Promote eco-tourism around govt reservoirs, says Samrat

Patna: CM Samrat Choudhary on Sunday asked officials concerned to promote eco-tourism around all state govt reservoirs through the public-private partnership model and create better infrastructure to attract visitors.

At a review meeting on eco-tourism held at the Sankalp auditorium in Lok Sevak Awas in Patna, Samrat also asked officials to consult the public and seek suggestions before moving ahead with development plans.

He asked departments to design tourism packages keeping tourists’ convenience in mind and stressed the need to speed up work in areas with strong tourism potential. “The govt's objective is to take the state forward in the tourism sector and to work rapidly on other potential areas of tourism development. The state has immense potential for spiritual, cultural and eco-tourism,” Samrat said.

He further instructed the environment, forest and climate change department to undertake plantation drives around all ponds and reservoirs owned by the state govt and ensure the creation of tourist-friendly facilities. He also called for wetland areas to be properly systematised and green cover developed around them. “This will increase the state's green cover area and also facilitate water conservation,” he said.

During the meeting, the department’s additional chief secretary Anand Kishore and water resources department secretary Chandrashekhar Singh presented detailed action plans and proposals related to eco-tourism development in Bihar.