Rs 500 cr scheme to rejuvenate 12 heritage cities launched

Aiming at preserving and rejuvenating the rich cultural heritage, government today launched the ambitious Rs 500 crore project for 12 cities including Varanasi, Mathura, Gaya, Dwarka and Puri across the country.
"No nation can move forward ignoring its cultural heritage and legacy. India is a diverse land of languages and religions and we need to preserve the legacy of all kinds. HRIDAY is a step towards reviving the soul of cities hosting such rich heritage," Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu said at the launch of the Heritage Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) here.
The 12 cities selected for the scheme are Ajmer, Amritsar, Amravati, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Warangal, Puri, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Varanasi and Vellankanni.

Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma and Members of Lok Sabha representing different cities selected under the project also attended the launch.
Naidu said the project will be boost for tourism also as we want these heritage cities to be face of the tourism.
The HRIDAY will be dovetailed with the Tourism Ministry's Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme which has an outlay of Rs 100 crore for augmentation of infrastructure at pilgrimage sites across the country.

Welcoming the UD Ministry's move, Sharma said, "Urbanisation is a must but but it should not be at the cost of heritage. We have rich culture and heritage and we have to protect them at any cost."

Tourism Minister further said that ugly pictures of a temple corner is not a welcome site and "we all should become ambassadors of swachh bharat campaign."
Elaborating on the new initiative, Naidu said, "HRIDAY seeks to promote an integrated, inclusive and sustainable development of heritage sites, focusing not just on maintenance of monuments but on advancement of the entire ecosystem including its citizens, tourists and local businesses."
He said, with 32 UNESCO recognised natural and cultural heritage sites, ranking second in Asia and fifth in the world, the tourism potential of the country is still to be fully harnessed and the new scheme will help in this regard.