Bhubaneswar, Oct. 6: The Odisha government has asked the departments concerned to ensure better upkeep of 320 tourist spots and 296 protected monuments in the state.

Seventy-eight of the 296 monuments are managed by the Archaeological Survey of India. However, lack of awareness about heritage and tourist sites has led to these places being littered with solid waste, causing inconvenience to tourists, said an official.

Chief secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik has asked urban local bodies to ensure that the monuments within their jurisdiction are spic and span.

He has also advised local eco-development committees and organisations in tourist places to take up similar work.

The Puri-Konark Development Authority has been instructed to ensure better drainage and solid waste management along the Grand Road in Puri, by engaging a reputed agency.

Patnaik has directed district collectors to constitute local development committees under their chairmanship to monitor cleanliness of tourist places in their respective districts.

Tourism and culture secretary Ashok Kumar Tripathy said the beach development committee had already started functioning in Puri and Konark.

The local committees would also monitor bathing on the beach to prevent incidents of drowning.

“The local development committee in Tikarpada, a major eco-tourism centre in Angul district, is conducting cleanliness drives at the spot. The famous tourist place on the bank of the Mahanadi river is attracting many tourists who want to stay in tents on the banks of the river,” Tripathy said.

The chief secretary said the tourism department would organise interactive sessions for local development committees to share best trade practices with one another.

“The department has been advised to recognise and appreciate the work of committees that perform well,’’ Patnaik said.