The flow of tourists to the 104ft Buddha stupa has declined sharply owing to the serial blasts in Bodhgaya, despite the government beefing up the security around the site.

The administration has deployed armed policemen, replacing four lathi wielding home guards, who were manning the site till now.

“Around 300 visitors from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, Japan and Myanmar would visit the site everyday before the Bodhgaya blasts. But in the recent times, we have not seen any foreign tourist visiting the site,” police said.

Residents and shopkeepers, too, agreed with the statement. Secretary of Mahatma Buddha Seva Sansthan Sita Ram Yadav said: “Following the Bodhgaya blasts, the government should have issued communiqués and advertisements in the media to dispel fear among the tourists. Though the visitors are terrified, the government is not doing anything to restore their confidence.”

The sudden dip in the flow of tourists has also affected the economy of Kesariya, Yadav said.

President of the organisation P. Ojha said: “The project to develop the site into an important tourist spot of the country at an estimate of Rs 6 crore, announced by minister in-charge of the district Prem Kumar during the flag hoisting on August 15 last year, is yet to take off. The under-construction fencing wall around the site to protect an area of about six acres of land should also be completed at once.”