Ranchi, Aug. 5: The state tourism department has received positive indications from its central counterpart Deoghar would soon be included in the Union tourism ministry's Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme launched last year.
So far, Varanasi and Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), Kedarnath (Uttarakhand), Gaya (Bihar), Dwarka (Gujarat), Puri (Odisha), Amritsar (Punjab), Ajmer (Rajasthan), Kamakhya (Assam), Amravati (Andhra Pradesh), Kanchipuram and Vellankani (Tamil Nadu) are part of the PRASAD scheme as places of religious importance to be developed by the Union tourism ministry.
State tourism, art-culture, sports and youths affairs secretary Satendra Singh told this correspondent from Delhi today that "indications looked bright" for Deoghar.
"I have been apprised by Union tourism ministry secretary Vinod Zutshi about Deoghar's possible inclusion under PRASAD. Chief minister Raghubar Das (also in Delhi at the moment) is serious about the project. On Monday, we may get a positive response from the Centre," Singh said.
PRASAD aims at integrated development of pilgrimage destinations in a planned and sustainable manner to provide devotees a complete religious tourism experience, and at the same time, implement community-based development, pro-poor tourism concepts, promote local arts, culture, handicraft and cuisine of the place concerned to generate jobs.
In Jharkhand, Deoghar, 300km from capital Ranchi, is the most important religious site, its Baidyanath Dham among the dwadash lingams. Like every year, lakhs are visiting Deoghar this Shravan too.
The state government will also send its proposal to Union tourism ministry for another central scheme, Swadesh Darshan, for integrated development of theme-based tourist circuits. For this, Jharkhand proposed three circuits - Tanginath (Gumla)-Anjan Dham (Gumla)-Ramrekha Dham (Simdega); Itkhori (Chatra)-Kouleshwari (Chatra)-Rajrappa (Ramgarh)-Parasnath (Giridih); and Baba Baidyanath Dham (Deoghar)-Rikhiya Dham (Deoghar)-Basukinath Dham (Dumka)-Maluti (Dumka).
