The Orissa government has planned a mega tourism circuit covering five districts of South Orissa including Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Rayagada and Koraput.
The state government has already submitted a detailed project report to the Centre on the proposed tourism project involving an investment of Rs 50 crore. The project would cover almost all the major tourism destinations of these districts.
The tourist spots like Gupteswar in Koraput district, Majhighariani in Rayagada district, Gandahati and Mahendragiri in Gajapati district, Gopalpur-on-Sea, Tapatapani and Bhairabi in Ganjam district and Daringibadi in Kandhamal district would come under the proposed tourism circuit of South Orissa. Besides these famous tourist spots, the infrastructure of about 2,000 small religious places of these five districts will also be developed under the proposed project.
Union minister of state for rural development Chandra Sekhar Sahu, however, blamed the state government for its delay in submitting the detailed project report (DPR) to the Centre on the proposed mega tourism circuit for South Orissa.
“I have already informed Ambika Soni, the Union tourism minister about the mega tourism circuit project and she has promised to look into the matter”, he said.
Meanwhile, the Centre has already sanctioned about Rs 8 crore for development of Gopalpur-on-Sea, a beach resort town under the destination tourism project and Rs 5 crore for development of Tapatapani, famous for its hot-springs.