New Delhi: Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Wednesday said that, after hydropower, tourism will be the biggest industry in Arunachal Pradesh, bringing sustainable development and helping achieve the objective of a self-reliant state.
He sought the support and guidance of the Union Minister of Tourism and Culture for the development of the tourism industry in the state for a Viksit Arunachal Pradesh.
Mein made these remarks at a Swasti Kaamna Samaroh organized by the VIPRA Foundation at the Dr Ambedkar International Center here.
The event marked the ongoing development of the sacred Parshuram Kund and saw the felicitation of Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Bhagirath Chaudhary, deputy chief minister Mein along with several newly elected MPs.
Expressing gratitude to the people for their continued support and faith in re-electing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the third consecutive time, Mein noted that this support has enabled the government to work consistently towards fostering development across the nation.
Mein highlighted the Parshuram Kund development project as a key initiative under the Government of India’s PRASHAD scheme. He praised the VIPRA Foundation for its contributions, including the donation of a 51-ft bronze statue of Lord Parshuram, whose foundation stone was laid by Union Minister Amit Shah in May 2022.
Commenting on the statue’s progress, Mein stated that his recent onsite inspection revealed that the foundation work is completed, and the retaining wall on the hillside is under construction and expected to be finished within a month.
“I have instructed the department to commence the landscaping and beautification at the earliest, along with the construction of the approach road,” he said.
Mein further informed that the Arunachal government has approved the “Construction of River Front in Parshuram Kund in Lohit District” under NESIDS (OTRI) with a project cost of Rs 50 crore during the State Level Empowered Committee (SLEC) meeting on June 26.
This proposal will be submitted to the Ministry of DONER for sanctioning. Additionally, the state government will provide an extra Rs 50 crore for the development of Parshuram Kund.
The project envisages constructing a riverfront spanning 200 meters on the left bank of the Lohit River along the Mela Ground of Parshuram Kund. It includes lawns, walkways, a ramp for vertical movement, a viewing deck, an outdoor amphitheatre, a viewing tower, and a ritual deck for ash immersion by devotees.
This development aims to create a recreational space for devotees attending the ‘holy dip’ Mela at the Sacred Kund during Makar Sankranti in January, which attracts more than 100,000 pilgrims. The project is expected to boost interstate tourism and uplift socio-economic activities in the area.
Previously, the Government of India, through the Ministry of Tourism, sanctioned Rs 37.87 crore under the PRASHAD Scheme. This funding has facilitated various developmental works, including waiting halls for pilgrims, dining areas, dharmshalas, kiosks, guest houses, and cement concrete steps to the Kund with railings.
Mein expressed optimism that with the support of the Union tourism minister and stakeholders such as the VIPRA Foundation, the International Society for Parshuram Consciousness, and well-wishers, Parshuram Kund will be transformed into one of the largest pilgrimage sites in the Northeast region.
The event was attended by VIPRA Foundation founder Sushil Ojha, event organizing chairman Ratan Sharma, VIPRA general secretary of the Jodhpur Zone Rahul Sharma and others.
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