Developing Land Banks Could Be The Answer: Misra

Anindita Chattopadhyay - New Delhi

The new secretary tourism, A K Misra, who took charge on March 1, 2005 had urban development under his purview in the Planning Commission and is concerned about the lack of infrastructure, entry point hassles and unplanned urban development.

Talking on the sidelines of the state tourism ministers' meet in an exclusive to Express Travel & Tourism, Misra said, "Non-availability and high cost of land is a major issue. Developing land banks could be a possible answer. State Tourism Development Corporations can acquire land and make it available to hotel entrepreneurs. ITDC could also look into acquiring land and making it available to entrepreneurs in a public-private partnership mode."

According to him, the Planning Commission has a fund of Rs 5,500 crore under the Urban Renewal Mission, which is available for urban infrastructure, transport problem and civic facilities. "We now plan to request the Planning Commission to take into account our view before prioritising projects so that cities with tourism potential receive priority," he added.

There should be, he pointed out, more synergies between states and the centre to avoid duplication of the same effort. "Publicity campaigns, for instance, should be better co-ordinated. We will help states with the master planning part of a tourist/heritage site, airports and railway stations and provide development assistance," he said. Misra believes that the government should be a facilitator and allow the private sector to invest and run the business. He is aiming at putting an evaluation system in place to assess the effectiveness of the existing state-run hotels and tourism projects before providing any more funds. "Our aim is to put the property or project to its best use. An assessment of existing projects will help us to re-look at and suggest measures accordingly, including disinvestments," he added.