Patna: The Bihar government is preparing a detailed action plan to promote tourism across seven districts stretching from the Kaimur-Rohtas region in the west to Munger and Bhagalpur in the east, as part of a broader effort to harness the state’s eco-tourism and heritage potential.
The Tourism Department has identified Munger, Banka, Jamui, Bhagalpur, Lakhisarai, Kaimur and Rohtas for focused intervention. A Destination Strategy Development Plan will be drawn up for these districts, with the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation in the process of selecting an agency to carry out the exercise.
Officials said the plan would map existing tourist attractions while identifying new tourism centres and facilities in surrounding areas. The selected agency will have three months to prepare the strategy, after which implementation is expected to begin.
According to the department, the seven districts offer some of Bihar’s most promising landscapes for eco-tourism, with a mix of hills, forests, waterfalls and water bodies. Rohtas is home to landmarks such as Rohtasgarh Fort, the tomb of Sher Shah Suri, Majhar Kund, Dhuan Kund and the Tutla Bhawani waterfall. In neighbouring Kaimur, major sites include Shergarh Fort, Kamarchat Dam, a wildlife sanctuary and the Mata Mundeshwari Temple, where tourism facilities are slated for upgradation.
As part of the initiative, approval has been granted for the development of the Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary. The Department of Environment, Forests and Climate Change is currently preparing a detailed project proposal for the sanctuary.
Parallel to destination development, the state is also moving to expand high-end accommodation. Plans are underway to construct seven new five-star hotels to improve tourist convenience. Three hotels are proposed in Patna, two in Rajgir and one in Vaishali.
Hospitality major ITC will build a new hotel near the Income Tax roundabout in Patna, replacing the existing Hotel Patliputra Ashok, which is already being demolished. This project is expected to be the first among the proposed five-star properties to be completed.
A letter of award has also been issued to an agency for a hotel project on the land of the Bankipur bus stand near Gandhi Maidan. Separately, the government is exploring plans to convert the century-old Sultan Palace on Veerchand Patel Path into a heritage hotel. A committee headed by the secretary of the Art and Culture Department has been formed to assess the feasibility of the project.
