Jagannath Dham Puri has been included in the National Heritage Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) and would get special grants for developmental works. It was informed by Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday.Notably, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and Union Minister of Tourism and Culture Dr Mahesh Sharma have jointly launched the HRIDAY programme in New Delhi.
Pradhan thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Naidu for Puri’s inclusion in the list.The new scheme seeks to promote an integrated, inclusive and sustainable development of heritage sites, focusing not just on maintenance of monuments but also on advancement of the entire ecosystem and citizens, tourists and local businesses.
While as per the UNESCO designation there are 32 natural and cultural heritage sites, the Government of India has included 12 cities in the HRIDAY at present. Initially, Rs22.54 crore has been allocated for Puri city.