State tourism minister Sunil Kumar Pintu at a photo exhibition in Bhagalpur. Picture by Amit Kumar

Bhagalpur, Sept. 25: The state government would develop towns along the Ganga with potential to attract tourists, said transport minister Sunil Kumar Pintu.

On his maiden visit to the district as a minister, Pintu said old townships like Bhagalpur located on the riverbank, along with some other towns would be developed as tourist hubs.

The tourism minister, who arrived in Bhagalpur on Saturday, addressed a seminar organised by Eastern Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industry last evening. “Bhagalpur region should be developed as a tourist hub” was the theme of the seminar.

“There is an immense tourism potential in Bihar and the state government has taken special initiatives to develop the infrastructure facilities in places of historical importance. Our target is to boost the tourism industry,” Pintu said. He claimed that Bihar has seen a sharp rise in the inflow of tourists in the past few years “and their number is increasing all the time”.

He said the state government has plans to open a floating restaurant on the bank of the river in Bhagalpur similar to the one in Patna. “Besides, in the pattern of Bodhgaya, the department will soon provide a tourist bus service enrooted to Vikramshila Mahavihara, located around 41km from the Bhagalpur district headquarters,” the minister said.

“We have also decided to organise a Maha Ganga Arati at Bhagalpur regularly. Besides, the government would soon provide national-level status to Sultanganj Shravani Mela,” he said, adding that a tourist information centre would be opened at Bhagalpur railway station soon.