Team Herald
PANJIM: Tourism Department’s pet project, the Coastal Circuit has been approved a whopping Rs 99.99 crore under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme by the Union Tourism Ministry.
The funds will be allocated in various components for development works that will be undertaken in the first phase along the tourist popular belts of Bardez and Pernem besides other coastal areas.
Addressing the media on Friday, Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar said the Central Financial Assistance (CFA) is the highest allocation received by the department since 2010 when it was allocated Rs 40 crore.
“Goa was the first among the seven states to be considered for funding under the scheme by the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee,” he said.
Some of the projects proposed in Bardez include improvement of infrastructure facilities like parking, illumination and providing handicap-friendly access from the parking lot to the beach at Calangute, beautification of Calangute market circle and taxi stand, construction of a parking lot near the annex building for buses and two-wheelers near Calangute Residency, illumination of the stretch from Calangute to Baga, construction of parking lot near the beach, a garden on Department of Tourism land at Candolim and development of tourism property at Anjuna.
In Pernem, the project includes providing handicap-friendly access and illumination across the creek at Junaswada beach and Mandren beach at Pernem, development of MorjimKhind and Ashwem beach.
The project components include providing infrastructure at various coastal areas in the State like tourist information centers at Calangute, Baga, Anjuna, Morjim and Ashwem, public amenities at 10 beaches (37 blocks), providing CCTVs and wi-fi facility, tourism signages, and safety and security measures.
The development of Aguada Fort and Jail as a major tourist destination is also envisaged in the proposal.
“Once executed, the projects will enhance the future prospects of turning the coastal and spiritual circuits into a world class destination for domestic and international tourists,” the minister added.
Goa Tourism Development Corporation Chairman Nilesh Cabral said that proposals for additional funding to the tune of Rs 100 crore each will be submitted under river circuits, spiritual circuits, heritage and tribal circuits.
