Ministry of Tourism Sanctions Projects for Odisha under Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD Schemes

Bhubaneswar: The Ministry of Tourism, through its central sector schemes ‘Swadesh Darshan (SD)’ and ‘Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD),’ continues to support tourism infrastructure development by providing financial assistance to State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. Recently, several projects in Odisha have been sanctioned under these schemes.

Under the Swadesh Darshan 1.0 (SD 1.0) scheme, Rs. 70.82 Crores has been allocated for the development of Gopalpur, Barkul, Satapada, and Tampara. Additionally, the PRASHAD scheme has sanctioned Rs. 50.00 Crores for infrastructure development in Puri.

The Ministry has now revamped the Swadesh Darshan scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD 2.0) with the objective of developing sustainable and responsible tourism destinations. Under SD 2.0, 57 destinations across the country have been identified for development, including ‘Koraput’ and ‘Debrigarh’ in Odisha, along with the special attraction of ‘Khinda Village.’ Moreover, the Ministry has identified the ‘Chausath Yogini Temple’ and ‘Maa Kichakeswari Temple’ in Odisha for development under the PRASHAD scheme.

Union Minister for Tourism and Culture, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, provided this information in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today. He emphasized the government’s commitment to enhancing tourism infrastructure and promoting sustainable tourism across the nation.