Nagpur: Development of tourism and pilgrimage centres in Nagpur district received a major boost as Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule approved the Rs 707 crore Deekshabhoomi-Dragon Palace-Shantivan Buddhist Circuit development plan, Rs 175 crore Ramtek pilgrimage tourism development plan and Rs 99 crore Paradsinga-Dhapewada-Adasa Pilgrimage Circuit development plan. The development plans were approved in a meeting of District-level Committee presided over by Bawankule.
The meeting, held at office of Divisional Commissioner, was attended among others by former State Minister Sulekha Kumbhare, MLAs Sudhakar Deshmukh, Ashish Deshmukh, Mallikarjun Reddy, Sudhakar Kohale, Sunil Kedar, Divisional Commissioner Anup Kumar, District Collector Sachin Kurve, Municipal Commissioner Shravan Hardikar, NIT Chairman Dr Deepak Mhaisekar and other senior officials.
The city-based Deekshabhoomi, Kamptee’s Dragon Palace and Shantivan’s Chicholi, the revered places of lakhs of Buddhist disciples will be connected with each other for development of Rs 707 crore Buddhist Circuit. Rs 325 crore development plan for making Deekshabhoomi “A” and arranging facilities for pilgrims has been approved. The responsibility of implementing the development plan has been assigned to Nagpur Improvement Trust.
Similarly, Rs 325 crore development plan for constructing Buddhist Theme Park and Convention Centre at Kamptee’s Dragon Palace has been given the nod. The Dragon Palace is visited by pilgrims from all over the country as well as from China, Japan, Myanmar, Indonesia in large numbers.
A museum housing personal items of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar has been constructed at a land belonging to late Wamanrao Godbole, an associate of Dr Ambedkar, in Mauza Chicholi. Rs 57 crore development for this pilgrimage centre has been approved.
Ramtek development plan:
The Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule approved a Rs 175 crore Ramtek pilgrimage tourism development plan. The Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, during the 2013-14 Budget Session, had announced Rs 200 crore Ramtek development plan. However, some works of the development plan were deleted from the plan and the revised Rs 175 crore plan has been approved.
Out of the approved amounts, Rs 82.77 crore development works of Ramtek Nagar Parishad, Rs 16.93 crore for Forest Department works, Rs 86 lakh for Tourism Development Corporation, Rs 5.78 crore for Archaelogy Department works, Rs 4070 crore for PWD works and Rs 41.49 crore have been approved for other development works. In all 62 works will be carried out.
Paradsinga-Dhapewada-Adasa Pilgrimage Circuit:
Bawankule also approved Rs 99 crore Paradsinga-Dhapewada-Adasa Pilgrimage Circuit development plan. Rs 44 crore will be spent on development works in the complex of Chintamuneshwar Shivshakti Gadmandir and Sati Anusaya Mata Mandir in Paradsinga. The Forest Department has provided its land for the purpose. Similarly, Rs 5.34 crore development plan has been approved for works at Dhapewada. The fund will be spent on Ghat development, cement concrete road construction, parking, security wall, beautification, electrification etc. A pilgrimage circuit of Adasa, Dhapewada,Paradsinga, Waki, Narayanpur, Chhota Tajbagh, Telangkhedi temple, Kelzar, Girad and two other places will be connected with each other. The Adasa pilgrimage centre will also have development works.
