The government is mulling over the establishment of a Heritage Development Authority in the State to enable the development of tourism in heritage sites, Special Chief Secretary (Tourism) Chandana Khan said.
Addressing media here on Monday, she said that tourism development of heritage sites required coordination between a number of departments and most often the process of permissions and clearances delay the project. Further, the protection and development of the site also cannot be taken up.
To enable better coordination between different departments and to ensure proper protection of the large number of heritage sites in the State, the government is seriously considering the establishment of such an authority, she said.
Replying to a question she said that a new Tourism Policy was yet to be drawn up, however, the government had decided to put in abeyance the Tourism Policy 2010 as it entailed a huge burden on the government as it had provisions like reimbursements to five-star and seven-star hotels. The government was considering some aspects of the policy on a case to case basis.
There was no blanket ban on the tourism projects proposed by the earlier government, some of them are being taken up in a phase-wise manner, she explained.
Museum plannedThe Tourism Department was planning to set up an Archaeological Museum in Srikakulam. An old Dutch Building near the district Collectorate was being renovated and part of it would house the Dutch heritage museum and another part would showcase the archaeological finds from the district. Also the APTDC Harita hotel was coming up at Arasavilli, she said.
Dashavatara ParkA Dashavatara Park was being planned at Srikurmam, the Special Chief Secretary said. The APTDC resort at Kalingapatnam was being expanded and 20 cottages were being added to it, she added.
