With a budgetary allocation of Rs25 crore and financial assistance of Rs50 crore from the central government, the state forest department plans to promote tiger tourism in Vidarbha. The department has put together a plan to double the number of tourists visiting tiger reserves in Vidarbha in the near future.
Even before Union forest minister Jairam Ramesh announced plans to promote Nagpur as a ‘tiger gateway’, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had directed the finance department to provide additional funding for promotions.
With three notified tiger reserves in Vidarbha, the department identified a potential for tiger promotion. Ramesh announced a financial aid of Rs50 crore for the rehabilitation of nearly 25 hamlets and villages in Tadoba and Melghat reserves.
“The budgetary allocation this year was unprecedented. With the allocation of Rs50crore, we can now plan capacity expansion, promotion of domestic tourism facilities and packages for circuit trips to various tiger reserves. The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation and Forest Development Corporation Limited also have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote forest tourism. We may join hands for some projects,” an official said.
The Tadoba tiger reserve is the most popular among tourists with 1 lakh tourist footfalls last year. The number was merely 35,000 in 2003-04. The other reserves, Melghat and Pench, have also witnessed a rise in the number of tourists in the last few years.
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_vidarbha-to-be-tiger-tourism-hub_1546774
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