new Delhi. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has directed officials to prepare a plan to promote defense tourism and has also sought suggestions regarding visits to the historic battlefields and its establishments.
Pointing out the willingness of the people, especially the youth, to engage with defence-related subjects, Singh urged the officials of the Ministry of Defense (MoD) to formulate a plan to promote defense tourism.
Keeping in view the safety and sanctity of the places, he suggested to explore the possibility of organizing visits to historical battlefields, war memorials, war museums, training academies or other similar defense establishments for the people with the help of industry, startups and ex-servicemen.
“It will create a sense of patriotism among the people and at the same time generate revenue,” Singh said during the inauguration of a user-friendly website created by the Border Roads Organization (BRO).
The purpose of this website is to facilitate e-booking of guided tours for road infrastructure projects constructed by BRO.
Singh appreciated the efforts of BRO in developing the portal and expressed confidence that the website would go a long way in promoting tourism in far flung areas.
The website includes photo and video galleries of tourist places and local flora and fauna, apart from providing information about the BRO, the nature and challenges faced by it in the bordering states.
It also hosts construction-related technical information for those working in the field of civil engineering, especially students and academics.
Singh said that in times to come, it will be the most accessible and reliable source of information about the history and importance of projects executed by BRO and will also provide a glimpse on the upcoming projects.
Appreciating the BRO for playing an incomparable role in promoting tourism in these areas, he said that after the construction of the Atal Tunnel, the tourist footfall in that area increased six times.
Making a special mention of setting up of BRO Cafes at 75 locations in remote areas, he expressed confidence that these cafes will provide basic amenities to the commuters, promote tourism in remote areas and strengthen the local economy.
He praised the BRO for building more than 60,000 km of roads, 850 major bridges, 19 airstrips and four tunnels in the last six decades, which has played a vital role in nation building through infrastructure development in remote and inaccessible areas. .
Emphasizing on the importance of connectivity and infrastructure in the development of the nation, he said that roads, bridges and tunnels in the border areas play a central role in meeting the needs of the armed forces besides ensuring their socio-economic development of the region.
“Earlier, infrastructure development in the border areas was never a priority for fear of its misuse by our adversaries,” Singh said.
He said that his government has completely changed this approach.
The Minister further said that the infrastructure development of any region is linked to the development of the nation as well as the global situation.
Singh said, “With changing times, all sectors move ahead on the path of development. We are committed to ensure development of border areas as well. The recent announcement of a record increase in BRO’s capital budget reaffirms that commitment. “
He appreciated the fact that remote areas are now witnessing reverse migration, in which people leaving their villages in search of employment, education and better health facilities are returning after seeing the development of these areas. .
He talked about Huri village in Arunachal Pradesh, whose residents returned to their area after the BRO ensured contact with the district headquarters.
He said, “Atal Tunnel and Umling La Pass are the biggest achievements of BRO which have put India on the world map. BRO is striving towards realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of ‘Self-reliant India’. “
Raksha Mantri emphasized that the tourism and travel industry is one of the biggest job and wealth creators in the world and the government has taken several steps to promote tourism in the country.
—AnyTV News
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