Rajasthan aims to become an all-important tourism hub this year

Mega desert circuit to develop @ Rs 50 cr

Rajasthan aims to become an all-important tourism hub this year. Principal Secretary, Tourism, Rajasthan Government, S K Agarwal said, the state is looking into various ways to develop tourism, these include – developing new circuits, infrastructure development, increase in night tourism, creation of more rooms and the launch of the revised Tourism Unit Policy. The state is also looking for improved air connectivity in cities like Kota, Udaipur and Jodhpur. Agarwal said “The state is developing a mega desert circuit (Jaisalmer-Jodhpur-Bikaner-Sambhar-Pali-Mount Abu) at the cost of Rs 50 crore. The state is also planning new circuits on ‘handicrafts’, ‘birding’ and ‘spirituality’. The Government is aware of the need to promote lesser popular regions of the state so that the benefits of tourism also percolate to the people of these areas. There has been an increase of 9% on the arrival of tourists in the financial year 2014-15. With concerted efforts both in marketing as well as development of infrastructure and new circuits – it is hoped that increasingly more tourists will visit Rajasthan.”

India’s first private airport to be operational by April 14

India’s first private greenfield airport at Durgapur, promoted by Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL), is likely to be operational by April 14. “The final calibration of navigational aids at the airport by Airport Authority is done. Now, we expect to get final DGCA licence in a month,” the state Transport Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay in Durgapur was quoted as saying. The airport, christened Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport, will be operational from April 14, in all probability, BAPL officials said.

Bandyopadhyay said Pinnacle Air, a non-scheduled airline, will begin its operations from here four days a week connecting Bagdogra, Coochbehar, Durgapur and Kolkata soon after getting license from DGCA.

BAPL Managing Director Partha Ghosh said the company is in negotiations with IndiGo and GoAir for scheduled flights for connecting Delhi-Durgapur including Air India and non-schedule airline Air Coasta for connecting southern cities such as Hyderabad and Bangalore. Air Costa may connect these two south Indian cities for four days a week. However, the final agreement will depend on concessions the Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport offers. The major concessions demanded by the scheduled airlines are waiver of landing and takeoff fees, underwriting minimum of seats and 30 per cent surcharge waiver for ATF for a greater time frame.