BHUBNAESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday underscored the need for improving rail and air connectivity to facilitate travel of national and international Buddhist tourists to Odisha. The State has a number Buddhist tourist draws. He demanded resumption of the flight between Bhubaneswar and Varanasi, which was discontinued in 1994, at the earliest. The Chief Minister, who met Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay in New Delhi, suggested that the Maharaja’s Express Classical India Train should be extended to Odisha to cover important destinations of Buddhist Circuit. The State Government had already submitted a proposal to the Tourism Ministry in this regard. Besides, the Mohapari Nirvan Special Train, which covers Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi only, should include Odisha as a destination, he said. Naveen also emphasised on the need to start the light and sound show at Udaygiri cave in the City on priority for which the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) had submitted a revised proposal to the Union Tourism Ministry. He said similar multi-media laser shows should also be sanctioned for Dhauli and Konark. The Food Craft Institute, Balangir, should be upgraded to State Institute of Hotel Management so that it can offer degree courses from this year, he said. The Chief Minister said the Tourism Ministry should also consider granting one more State Institute of Hotel Management for Odisha to meet the growing requirement of professionals in the hospitality sector. The Union Minister said the committee under the chairmanship of joint secretary is scheduled to meet next week and will consider the proposal to include Bhubaneswar in Delhi-Varanasi flight. He also agreed to sanction the light and sound shows at Udaygiri and Konark. ITDC Chairman Lalit K Panwar said that multi-media laser shows, using the latest technology, would be completed in six to nine months at Udaygiri and Konark. These two works will run concurrently, he said. He will pursue with the Ministry of Railways for introduction of special Buddhist trains to the Buddhist Circuit in Odisha. It should materialise in winter this year, he said. Sahay assured Naveen about funding an integrated tourist project covering a number of places, including Puri, Konark, Chilika, Raghurajpur, Old Bhubaneswar, Dhauli and Barkul. He said the ministry will give permission to start the hotel management degree course in Balangir immediately after the transfer of land to the society. He also agreed to sanction one more institute of hotel management for the State.
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