K’shetra gets Rs 100 crore under Krishna Circuit

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, June 15

In a major tourism boost for Kurukshetra, the Centre has released a sum of Rs 100 crore under Krishan Circuit.

According to Dr Ramendra Singh, a member of the national committee on Krishna Circuit, a Union government’s initiative, funds would be utilised for development of five ancient sites in Kurukshetra.

The decision in this direction was taken at a meeting chaired by Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma and attended by the Tourism Secretary, experts and senior officials of the ministry in New Delhi.

Under Krishna Circuit, 12 destinations spread across five states have been proposed. These are: Kurukshetra, Dwarka (Gujarat); Nathdwara, Jaipur and Sikar (Rajasthan); Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Barsana, Nandgaon and Govardhan (Uttar Pradesh) and Puri (Odisha).

Singh said the Centre had released Rs 200 crore in the first phase for the entire circuit and Rs 100 crore was earmarked for Kurukshetra alone.

The government had decided to launch tourism helpline for Krishna Circuit in 12 languages and it was expected to be functional in a week, he said.

The sites in Kurukshetra identified under the project are Jyotisar, twin ponds of Brahma Sarovar, Sannihit Sarovar, Amin and Narkatari.

Singh said the ministry had launched the Swadesh Darshan scheme in 2014-15 to develop theme-based tourist circuits in the country on the principles of high tourist value.