Gujarat not included in Incredible India campaign, PM’s promise to develop Dandi Route yet to be fulfilled:Gujarat Minister

New Delhi, 18 July 2013

Gujarat Tourism continues to be discriminated against by the Government of India and in spite of clear assurances from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to develop the world famous Dandi Route, no green signal is being given to the Government of Gujarat, State Tourism Minister Shri Saurabhbhai Patel said.

He said that former Union Tourism Minister Shri Subodh Kant Sahay on his visit to Dwarka had promised to develop the circuit as landmark of religious tourism but nothing has been done so far.

Speaking at the National Conference of Tourism Ministers organized by Union Ministry of Tourism here, Shri Patel said Gujarat has not been included in the flagship Incredible India campaign of the Union Ministry of Tourism and none of the destinations of Gujarat have been projected.

In response to Union Minister for Tourism Dr.K. Chiranjeevi’s concerns about safety of tourists being the prime concern in the country, the Gujarat minister replied that Gujarat Government is taking care of the safety issue and various steps have been taken to ensure security of tourists.

Shri Patel said that Gujarat Government has created a special police force under the Home department to enforce safety and security measures for tourist influx, which has registered a remarkable growth rate of 13.62 per cent in 2012-13 much higher than the national average growth in tourism sector.

A batch of 60 police personnel are undergoing training at present to facilitate tourists’ safety and also perform as information providers about tourist destinations in the state.

Shri Patel said that a 24-hour call centre has been set up by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TCGL) which helps a tourist complainant access the nearest police station to lodge a complaint pertaining to any issue related to safety and security of travelers to the state.

Gujarat tourism has been working with various agencies through PPP mode to develop and maintain the infrastructure in the state and a rigorous cleanliness campaign across all districts, the Minister informed the gathering.

He said that tourism management kiosks have been developed in all temple towns throughout Gujarat to manage basic cleanliness standards owing to high tourist inflow. He further added that public conveniences have been created at petrol pumps on highways in Gujarat to facilitate travelers.

Gujarat Government is bringing a comprehensive tourism policy which also includes rationalization of taxes. There are discussions under way with neighboring states on cross-border transport taxes which is a pertinent issue at hand, Shri Patel apprised.

The Union Minister for Tourism applauded Gujarat for setting examples for other states in tourism sector and also assured complete assistance for developing the Porbandar and Dwarka tourist circuits in Gujarat.

Commissioner & Managing Director, Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited Shri Sanjay Kaul also attended the meeting.