BJP MPs criticise govt on tourism

The Union government on Monday came in for a sharp criticism in the Lok Sabha from members on the treasury benches, with Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Hema Malini saying adequate steps have not been taken to promote tourist destinations in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Hema Malini, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Mathura, said that the Union tourism ministry has not properly developed Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandgaon, and their adjoining areas, under its Krishna Circuit established five years ago.

“I say with hesitation that not much work has been done in the last five years, neither quickly, nor anything worth mentioning,” Hema Malini said, raising the issue in the question Hour. “I want to know what the government is doing to expedite the work on the Krishna Circuit,” she added.

Earlier, Rudy said the tourism ministry was not taking adequate steps to develop the Sonpur cattle fair in Bihar despite his repeated requests.

Rudy, the BJP MP from Saran in Bihar, said he has submitted a DPR (detailed project report), and if the officials did not bring it under the consideration of the minister, it was a matter of privilege against them.

In response, Union tourism minister Prahlad Singh Patel said all these development projects have to come from the state governments.

Singh said his ministry has identified ecotourism as a niche products for promotion and development in Bihar to attract tourists with specific interest and to ensure repeat visits.