“Tourism has always been a part of our civilisation and efforts in positioning India as a global tourist destination will create economic opportunities,” the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said during her ongoing budget speech today.
During the budget speech today, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her plans for the tourism sector, emphasising substantial reforms aimed at revitalise historical and cultural sites across India. Notably, Nalanda, Gaya, and Odisha were highlighted to be taken up for development.
“Tourism has always been a part of our civilisation and efforts in positioning India as a global tourist destination will create economic opportunities,” she said.
To elevate Bihar as a prominent global tourist hub, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced plans to develop the develop the Vishnupad temple corridor and the Mahabodhi temple corridor in Bihar. Sitharaman stated that the Bodh Gaya temple corridor would be developed using the successful model of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple corridor in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. She added that special funds have also been allocated for the Rajgir Jain Temple site.
Besides these, she also proposed the initiatives for the redevelopment of Nalanda as a tourist centre and enhancements to Nalanda University, a significant religious centre for Jains. The proposed reforms aim to improve infrastructure around Nalanda.
Additionally, major projects such as the construction of expressways in Patna and Buxar, totaling INR 26,000 crore, are planned. New airports will be built in Bihar, with additional budget allocations to support this initiative, the minister said.
Sitharaman’s reforms also aim to strengthen infrastructure and accessibility across Odisha’s tourist circuits. “Odisha’s scenic beauty, temples, craftmanship, wildlife and other features make it a viable tourist destination and the central government will develop tourism in the state,” the minister said.
Speaking on Infrastructure, FM announced that the govt will spend a record 11.11 trillion rupees in the financial year ending March 2025 to support growth and create more jobs in the world’s most populous country. “Infrastructure development is one of the nine priorities in this budget, with the central government committing to substantial investments,” she asserted.
