Getting central funds for tourism development will no longer be a holiday for states.

The union tourism ministry's new set of rules will now make sure that states travel long and hard before they get to a sanctioning.

 The centre feels that the amount sanctioned to the states for developing tourist spots and strengthening infrastructure is not exploited to its fullest advantage.

According to a senior ministry official, states are often not able to complete the project by the deadline. Reasons most states cite for delays is 'land unavailable for parking zone, landscaping or even planting saplings.'
Taking this into consideration, the centre has made it mandatory for the states to include certain points in the detailed project report (DPR) before submitting it.

These include availability of land with the state for strengthening infrastructure, the agency for implementation of the work, time period for completion of work.

Further, the centre is focusing on solid waste management in the vicinity of the historical monuments. States have been asked to include a draft waste management proposal in the DPR. 

The other vital details that are to be mentioned in the DPR include those on amenities like toilet and parking facilities on the road to tourist spots. If a DPR is found to be incomplete (without these details) then it will be rejected, the official informed.

“We had a meeting with the officials from all the states and they have been alerted in this regard. The centre will start receiving proposals from the state from July onwards. The centre will strictly examine that all these norms are mentioned in the DPR and then only funds will be sanctioned for the proposal,” he said.