Calcutta, Feb 7 :     The government has drawn up grand plans to set up a chain of heritage hotels on the waterfront. This is part of a mega riverfront development programme to boost 'cultural tourism' in the state. The hotels will be located on the state government's 220-km Ganga Heritage Cruise route - from Behrampore ghat, 11 km south of Murshidabad, to Outram Ghat. The tourism department has already conducted a study of the colonial structures along the city's 'European section of the river'. It will soon submit the report to the European Union for a 'heritage promotion'' programme. The plans for the ghat along the Strand include upgradation of the existing facilities, construction of a passengers' terminal and, finally, the recreation of the ambience of old. The Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is collaborating with the British High Commission and the UK-based English Heritage, the London River Association and the London First and Cardiff Bay Development Association for the development and beautification of the waterfront in the city and Howrah. The scheme, modelled along the lines of the Rajasthan and Kerala heritage hotel chains, is aimed at attracting more foreign tourists and conserving the colonial buildings dotting the waterfront, without affecting the the traditional lifestyle and environment. Jayanto Sanyal, state secretary of tourism, who pioneered the heritage hotel scheme in Rajasthan, has taken up the task of of identifying old buildings along the river stretch. So far, the tourism department has identified seven buildings - one each at Nabadwip, Kalna, Azimganj, Malda and Midnapore and two buildings at Murshidabad. 'Talks are already under way with the owners and the district authorities to acquire the buildings,'' Sanyal told The Telegraph. The sprawling Singhi property in Azimganj figures high on the state government's agenda. The cluster of old colonial buildings along the river, according to Sanyal, will be modelled on the Samod heritage resort in Rajasthan, if the owners give the government their go-ahead. The state government is even prepared to lend financial assistance and publicity support to the Singhis if they plan to develop it on their own. 'The objective is to retain the traditional lifestyle and yet offer our customers star category comforts,'' said Sanyal. The district magistrate of Murshidabad, H.K. Diwedi, has been asked to relocate the district police department from the sprawling Fox's Kutir on the Murshidabad Rajbari complex so that the tourism department can develop it into a heritage hotel. 'The medieval-style building is still in very good shape. It just requires minor restoration,'' Sanyal said. The hotel, to be clubbed with the Ganga package tour, will allow tourists a better feel of the 'Nawabi experience'', which is the focal point of the Murshidabad leg of the cruise. 'Our tourists are taken to Murshidabad by bus from Calcutta and made to board the luxury vessel. So a heritage hotel in Murshidabad itself will add to the lure of the tour and people can stay overnight if they so desire,'' Sanyal said. The owners of the Neel Kuthi in Murshidabad have also been approached with this scheme. The Midnapore district administration has also been asked to vacate an old British inspection bungalow housing the land-records office in the district tourism complex. There are plans to convert this into a heritage resort-cum-conference centre. Similarly, the Pal Chowdhury family of Nabadwip has been approached to transform their old waterfront guest house into a full-fledged heritage resort on the cruise route.