The Odisha Government has chalked out major plans to attract Buddhist tourists to the State.According to Tourism and Culture Secretary Arvind Padhee, a three-day International Buddhist Conference would be held at the Panthnivas in Bhubaneswar from February 6, which would be attended by the Ambassador of Thailand, High Commissioner of Sri lanka and many other dignitaries along with tour operators from New Delhi and senior executives from hotel groups to draw a plan to attract tourists.
The visiting members would be taken on a tour of Buddhist sites on February 7, following which the visiting tour operators and hotel executives would work on a strategy to attract tourists with their counterparts from the State. Besides, the State Government has written to the Air India to start regular flight operations from Bodhgaya and Varanasi to Bhubaneswar. The Government, in its letter, has cited that this route would be profitable given the set of steps being taken to attract tourists.The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is planning a museum at lalitgiri which would feature the tooth of Buddha. The Government would spend Rs 9 crore for the facility, the work for which would begin soon, sources said.
The project report of a mega circuit plan of Rs 50 crore for the upkeep of the Buddhist heritages in the State has been completed and sent to the Union Government for approval, they said.The State Government is also planning to erect the largest-ever Buddha statue in langudi-Neulapur. Sathipur of Jajpur district is to be included in the Jajabara Scheme for tourists, the sources added.