PANAJI
Goa’s tourism sector is poised for a major boost as the Central government has sanctioned Rs 97.46 crore for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum in Ponda and Rs 90.74 crore for the proposed Town Square in Porvorim.
These allocations are part of the total Rs 3,295.76 crore allocated across 23 states under the Special Assistance to States/Union Territories for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme, which aims to elevate iconic tourist destinations into world-class attractions.
Interestingly, Goa is among the few states that have secured close to Rs 200 crore for two projects. In comparison, Uttarakhand received Rs 100 crore for a single project, the Iconic City Rishikesh: Rafting Base Station.
Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade expressed his gratitude as he took to social media, stating, “I extend my sincere thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte for their steadfast commitment to the development of Goa’s tourism sector.”
Meanwhile, in reply to Tanavade’s starred question on tourism promotion in Goa, Union Minister Shekhawat informed that the Ministry of Tourism has been providing financial assistance to state governments and union territories, including Goa, for organising fairs, festivals, and tourism-related events under its Domestic Promotion and Publicity Including Hospitality (DPPH) scheme.
“Under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, 15 themes were identified for developing theme-based circuits, such as Coastal Circuit, Eco Circuit, and Heritage Circuit. For Goa, two Coastal Circuits have already been developed,” Shekhawat said.
On August 20 this year, the Centre sanctioned Rs 23.56 crore for the ‘Porvorim Creek Experience’ and Rs 15.65 crore for the ‘Colva Beach Experience’ projects under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme.
Over the past five years, the Ministry of Tourism has also supported events like Carnival and Shigmo under the DPPH scheme, with Rs 25 lakh allocated for each event. These funds have already been sanctioned and disbursed.
