Patna, Nov. 20: The Centre has suggested that Bihar should put forth a proposal for developing eco-tourism at Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) on the priority list of tourism-related works for which the state needs central assistance in the next fiscal (2012-13).

The suggestion came from Kumud Dubey, a representative of the Union ministry of tourism, who took part in a meeting held here recently.

The meeting was convened by the department of environment and forests to discuss the report of the P.K. Sen Committee. The decision to set the committee under the chairmanship of Sen, a Padma awardee and retired Indian Forest Service officer, was taken in the previous meeting of the state wildlife board in April this year. Dubey is a member of this committee.

The suggestion assumes significance because the Union tourism ministry would start preparing detailed documents in December, on the basis of which it would chart out its priorities for the next fiscal. If developing eco-tourism in VTR features in the document, it would lead to central assistance. Moreover, such a support would boost the state government’s effort to develop eco-tourism in the reserve.

“We have directed VTR officials to prepare a detailed project report for developing eco-tourism in the reserve so that if the Centre agrees to give fund to develop eco-tourism in the reserve, a detailed proposal can be sent there immediately,” said Bihar chief wildlife warden D.K. Shukla, who holds the additional charge of managing director, Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation. Developing eco-tourism in VTR would certainly feature in the list of projects which Bihar would submit to the Centre, Shukla added.

He said the VTR officials had also been asked to incorporate details about the areas which they intended to open for tourists in the under-preparation tiger conservation plan.

During the course of the meeting, Dubey also suggested the forest department officials to carry out a study to assess the tourism zone “carrying capacity”, as it had been observed in other tiger reserves that the number of tourists visiting them was in excess to their carrying capacity.

“We have taken this advice very seriously and will outsource the work to an agency specialising in such work so that the content of the study could be incorporated in the detailed project report which would be sent for central approval,” Shukla said.

Terming the discussions in the meeting as very fruitful, VTR director Santosh Tiwari said that if the Centre agreed to support the eco-tourism project in VTR, it would be a big boost as central funds along with state funds would make things easier as far as developing facilities for ensuring a comfortable stay of tourists coming to the reserve was concerned.