Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture (I/C), Tourism (I/C) and Civil Aviation was on a two day visit to the North -East. He was accompanied by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju and senior officials of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
On the first day of his visit, Sharma made a tour of the various ongoing projects of tourism of Government of India in Arunachal Pradesh. He also visited Manipur and Nagaland.
Sharma held a meeting with Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Nabam Tuki at Itanagar. During his meeting with Tuki, he highlighted the importance of the North-east especially from the view point of tourism. He said that the North-east has a large unexploited potential for tourism and the his ministry has designated a special circuit for the region under its new Swadesh Darshan scheme.
The Government will help to create the necessary infrastructure and other facilities required for promoting tourism in the region under this scheme. Sharma held a detailed meeting with the senior officers of Arunachal Pradesh on projects of Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
He also paid an inspection visit to the adventure camping site and tourist lodge at Bhalukpong in Arunachal Pradesh, which is sponsored by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India as a part of Sports and Adventure Tourism project.
Sharma also laid the foundation stone of Tourist Lodge at Siddhartha Vihar in Itanagar as a part of Development of Itanagar-Doimukh-Sagalee Circuit by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
The Minister paid a visit to the Buddhist Gompa near Itanagar.
