The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday cleared the setting up of an Ecotourism Development Board. “Its formation was long overdue. The Chief Minister will chair the Board, Ministers of 10 departments will be the members and the Chief Secretary will be its Member-Secretary. The government will also rope in specialists from prominent institutions,” Tourism and Culture Minister, Jaiveer Singh announced after the Cabinet meeting which was chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The Board is expected to launch various initiatives to develop tourist places across the State to attract international and domestic tourists.
Uttar Pradesh has a forest cover of 16,582 sq km, 12 bird sanctuaries, 36 wildlife sanctuaries and nine eco-tourism circuits. “The State government has also given its nod to start night safari in Lucknow’s Kukrail forest area,” Mr. Singh added. The Cabinet approved 16 proposals on Tuesday including the formation of Mandhata Bazar Nagar Panchayat in Pratapgarh district and extension of Mungra Badshahpur Nagar Palika Parishad in Jaunpur district. “With this Uttar Pradesh will have 536 nagar panchayats, 199 nagar palikas and 17 municipal corporations,” said Arvind Kumar Sharma, Energy Minister. A decision was also taken to merge the three-power corporations -- Rajya Vidyut Nigam Utpadan Limited, Jawahar Vidyut Nigam Utpadan Limited and Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited -- and name it Uttar Pradesh Rajya Utpadan Vidyut Nigam. “The merger will help increase the administrative efficiency and lower the production cost,” said Mr. Sharma. The State government also decided to transform Food Craft Institute in Aligarh into Hotel Management Institute and start 17 new courses. Approval was also given to donate land for the establishment of a fire station at Rampur. The government also made changes in the defence and aeronautics policy which is under Ministry of Industrial Development.