Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) today said it is assisting the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) team on phase-II of the Ajanta Ellora conservation and Tourism Development Project.
The JICA team will visit the sites between November 27 and December 24, following which studies will continue for almost one year, up to October 2017, MTDC said in a release here.
"The Ajanta and Ellora Caves are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are located in Aurangabad district. The Ajanta-Ellora Conservation and Tourism Development Project was initiated in 1992 and Phase-I was initiated in March 1993, and was successfully completed in 2004. The Phase II of the project was to be completed between 2004-2017," MTDC Joint Managing Director Satish Soni said.
Now, he said, external evaluation of Phase II will begin in 2016-2017.
"Our aim is to conserve the cultural heritage and its surrounding environment, and to promote comprehensive tourism development including infrastructure, thereby contributing to regional development therefore MTDC and its respective officer will assist the JICA team in this phase II project," he added.
Various other agencies have also been assigned to complete the allocated components which, include Central government agencies like Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Airports Authority of India (AAI) along with MTDC and other state government institutions, among others.
MTDC and its branches have also completed the assigned components of the projects, like Ajanta Visitor Centre and Ellora Visitor Centre.
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