Gaya: Bodhgaya has done precious little to boost foreign tourist confidence, the mainstay of the temple town's economy, almost five years after it was rocked by serial blasts.

All it would have cost to boost visitor confidence was to spend Rs 18-20 crore per annum. That's the estimated cost of arranging CISF cover at the Mahabodhi Mahavihara.

"The loss to Bodhgaya's economy from falling tourist footfall is much more," says RTI activist Brijnandan Pathak.

"Bodhgaya's economy is fully dependent on tourism. CISF cover will go a long way in boosting confidence level of visitors coming from abroad," hospitality sector expert Arun Ojha said.

A series of low intensity blasts engineered by Indian Mujahedeen's Ranchi module had rocked Bodhgaya on July 7, 2013. Again, on January 19, a blast was engineered around a few hundred metres from the main shrine. Unexploded explosives, too were recovered.

Soon after the 2013 blasts, then home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had conceded to the demands of chief minister Nitish Kumar and then Governor D.Y. Patil to provide CISF cover to the Buddha shrine, making the temple in Bodhgaya the first religious place to be eligible for CISF cover.

Records show that CISF carried out pre-establishment homework. A CISF team led by a DIG-rank officer visited Bodhgaya for site inspection and identified points for watchtowers and other facilities. But nothing has been heard of since then. The issue was also raised during the recent visit of DGP K.S. Dwivedi.

Government sources said maintenance cost - an estimated Rs 18-20 crore per annum as establishment cost to host about 150 CISF personnel of different ranks - was the major issue. CISF provides security cover to vital installations including airports on payment basis. But the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee does not have the resources to foot the bill. It runs on donations and does not have a fixed income source. Sources say the state government requested the Union home ministry to consider shrine security as a special case and provide cover free of cost. But the Centre would not do it.

The need for CISF cover was once again felt following the blast and recovery of unexploded explosives on January 19, during the visit of Buddhist spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. Playing down the need for CISF cover, shrine committee secretary N. Dorje said the BMP was providing security to the shrine and doing a good job. On the point of CISF cover, he said it was for the government to take a call.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajiv Mishra said such decisions are taken at a higher level and he was not in a position to say anything. "Adequate security was being provided to the shrine," Mishra said.