The Odisha government presented a ₹1.5 lakh crore budget for 2020-21 in the Assembly with focus on creation of world class infrastructure, transformative healthcare facilities and education services, robust ecosystem for skills, sports, tourism, culture and industries. Finance Minister of Odisha, Niranjan Puri presented the e-budget 2020 pouring key importance to promoting Odisha as a world-class tourist destination. The key tourism highlights of Odisha Budget 2020 are:
• The government proposed to double the budgetary allocation from INR 194 crore in 2019-20 to INR 401 crore in the financial year of 2020-21 to the Tourism Department
• A new directorate archeology has been proposed to take up preservation activities of heritage sites in a professional manner.
• An amount of INR 80 crore has been proposed for Bay Area Development in Shamuka Beach in Puri, which will have world-class infrastructure.
• New scheme proposed under Works Department for development of heritage sites including Samaleswari temple, Hirakud dam and other potential places and old monuments.
• INR 150 crore earmarked under Ekamra Kshetra Amenities and Monuments Revival Action plan for 2020-21
• INR 695 crore earmarked under ABADHA for development of Puri into world-class heritage city
• INR 400 crore allocated as state share for Khurda Road-Balangir, Jeypore-Malkangiri and Jeypore-Nabarangpur rail line.
Almost half of the proposed tourism budget, INR 401 crore, will be utilised for creation and management of world-class tourist infrastructure. Pujari said that the mega investment for transforming Puri into World Heritage City and EKAMRA Plan would be a game changer for the tourism sector.
“The efforts of the Odisha government to transform Konark from a day-visit tourist destination to Marine Drive Eco Retreat, with 50 cottages for accommodation of tourists have been widely appreciated in national as well as international sphere. It will be organised every year,” the Finance Minister said.
For development of heritage sites including Samaleswari Mandir, Hirakud Dam and other potential places and old monuments of tourist importance, a new scheme under Works Department with outlay of Rs.50 crore has been envisaged, he added.
Already on the road to success
In January 2020, Odisha Tourism’s key initiatives set the stage for Centre-state and interstate cooperation at National Tourism Conference. The conference brought about key deliberations, strategic decisions and a host of opportunities to boost tourism in the state and country at large. They touched upon every single aspect related to tourism and also brought about three engaging sessions on Tourism Promotion, Responsible Tourism Practices and Tourism Circuit Development which converged into a set of concrete decisions for furthering Centre-state and interstate cooperation in tourism.
Owing to Odisha’s achievement, it came as no surprise when it bagged the hosting rights for the prestigious Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023. Odisha continued to be the hotbed of hockey tournaments in the country with the FIH naming the city as the host for the 2023 Men’s World Cup.
