Demand to upgrade tourist-friendly facilities in tourism capital

Aurangabad, Sept 28:

An active heritage enthusiast and alert citizen Feroz Khan have urged the district administration to intervene in restarting the operations of the tourist visitors centre (TVC) at Ajanta and Ellora on priority. He also underlined the need for aggressive promotion of Aurangabad - the Tourism capital of Maharashtra - in the form of a package. The destination had fallen victim to the apathy of the authorities concerned, he clarified.

In a memorandum to the district collector Sunil Chavan, the heritage enthusiast stated that around 150 crores of rupees were spent on the two TVCs. The government built the project with the aid of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a decade ago. This was a soft loan and we had to return it. However, due to the apathy of authorities concern, the TVCs are proving as white elephants.

The memorandum also highlighted the dire need for proper upkeep of the heritage sites and places in the district; immediate construction of roads approaching heritage sites; conservation of Nahers (old water aqueduct) and utilise its live water; free the monuments from encroachments; provide adequate parking

facilities at each monument in the city; put on proper signages guiding tourists to the heritage sites etc.

He also underlined the conservation of heritage palace Qil-e-Ark as it is dying a slow death due to sheer negligence of authorities concern, stated the memorandum.