Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 03 2010:
The Eco-Tourism Park being developed at Nongmaiching (Baruni Hills) is faced with a herculean task for completion as the project proposal of the State Government is said to be out of context of the union tourism Ministry's guidelines.
According to an informed source, certain guidelines need to be followed while proposing setting up of tourism projects particularly on the financial aspect.
Recounting plan of the State Government to develop the gentle hill-slope of Nongmaiching to attract domestic as well as foreign tourists, the source said in 2006-07 the Government under a specific policy acquired land of about 30 acres from private parties besides adding another 10 acres from the Government khasland for development of the Park on the Yaralpat side of the hill-range.
The land size was further increased with the acquisition of another 160 acres of forest area to accommodate a golf course with an agreement with the Forest Department that reserve forest status would be maintained by not taking up construction work.
Excluding the proposed golf course, a detailed project report (DPR) amounting to Rs 57 crore was prepared and subsequently submitted to the Union Tourism Ministry for development of the eco-tourism park.
However, it is informed that when the DPR was prepared officials concerned overlooked guidelines of the Ministry that clearly laid down rules that an amount of more than Rs 5 crore cannot be sanctioned at a time as the ministry's budget was the most meagre of all the Ministries.
owing to the park development work already initiated but constrained by the Ministry's fund paucity, State authorities reportedly scouted for alternative funding sources but to no avail.
However, to conform with the Ministry's guideline on fund provision limitation the eco-tourism park plan was revised and a new proposal placed the same year after which the Ministry approved sanctioning of Rs 5 crore, the source maintained.
The plan proposal was limited to construction of an office building and park development only.
Significantly, out of the total assured amount the Ministry reportedly deposited Rs 3.45 crore directly in the account of the park's work agency namely India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC).
Inspite of the Ministry releasing the first sanctioned amount in the 2006-07 fiscal itself, the work agency is yet to begin the park development/construction work till date even though 2008-09 was actually targeted for its completion.
Confiding that once the park development work has commenced there is possibility of the Ministry subsequently extending financial assistance for materialisation of the dream project, the source also revealed of the ITDC conveying to the State Government this year that all its engineers are engaged in construction works for the Commonwealth Game in New Delhi, and as such it could not provide man-power for the Park works.
Shocked with the ITDC response, the State's Tourism Department is informed to have asked the work agency to clarify its position on whether it is still committed to begin relevant works at the earliest and in case unable to take the responsibility the project be handed over to the State.