Patna: A departmental review meeting of the Bihar Tourism Department was held on Wednesday at the Directorate of Tourism Auditorium under the chairmanship of Bihar Tourism Minister Kedar Prasad Gupta.
The meeting marked the first departmental review chaired by the minister since assuming office. Tourism Secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh welcomed the minister and presented an overview of the department’s organisational structure, functioning and ongoing schemes through a PowerPoint presentation.
Officials informed the minister about the implementation status of state and central government tourism schemes and expenditure incurred on various projects.
Review of Tourism Circuits and Policies
Special Secretary-cum-Director Udayan Mishra briefed the minister on major tourism circuits being developed by the department. These include the Buddha Circuit, Eco Circuit, Sikh Circuit, Jain Circuit, Ramayana Circuit, Sufi Circuit, Shiv Shakti Circuit and Gandhi Circuit.
The minister was also informed about tourist destinations linked to these circuits and policies introduced to encourage investment in the sector.
Officials presented details related to the department’s Tourism Policy, Homestay Policy and Branding and Marketing Policy, which are aimed at strengthening tourism infrastructure and attracting private investment in Bihar.
Minister Calls for Timely Completion of Schemes
Addressing officials during the meeting, Gupta said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has consistently stressed the importance of tourism in Bihar’s development.
He said the department should remain proactive in ensuring the timely completion of tourism-related schemes so that the public can benefit from them effectively.
The minister also directed officials to strengthen dissemination of information related to departmental activities and schemes so that awareness reaches the wider public.
He further emphasised the need for effective implementation of the Tourism Policy to attract maximum investment into Bihar’s tourism sector.
Focus on Traditional Fairs and Festivals
Gupta also asked officials to prepare action plans for organising traditional fairs and festivals on a larger scale to promote tourism and cultural heritage in the state.
Among those present at the meeting were Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director Nand Kishore, Joint Secretary Indu Kumari, BSTDC General Manager Chandan Chauhan, Joint Director Rajesh Roshan, Deputy Secretaries Dev Shri and Neha Kumari, along with other departmental officials and staff members.
