Parliament Question: Achievements of PRASHAD Scheme

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *318 ANSWERED ON 11.08.2025 ACHIEVEMENTS OF PRASHAD SCHEME *318. SHRI RAVINDRA DATTARAM WAIKAR: DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE: Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government proposes to highlight the remarkable achievements of the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) scheme at major pilgrimage sites across the country; (b) the details of the positive growth at destinations developed under the said scheme; (c) the details of the strategy of the Government for developing integrated spiritual circuits offering a seamless and holistic journey for devotees; (d) the details of the concrete steps taken/being taken to ensure the highest standards of 'Swachhata' and waste management at these sacred sites; and (e) the manner in which the Government plans to leverage digital technologies, such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), to create immersive experiences that narrate the rich history and significance of these sites? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT) (a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. ********STATEMENT IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*318 ANSWERED ON 11.08.2025 REGARDING ACHIEVEMENTS OF PRASHAD SCHEME RAISED BY SHRI RAVINDRA DATTARAM WAIKAR AND DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE: (a) and (b): The Ministry of Tourism under the “Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive” (PRASHAD) provides financial assistance to the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations for development of tourism infrastructure at identified religious and heritage sites across the country. Since the launch of the PRASHAD Scheme in January 2015, the Ministry has sanctioned 54 projects in 28 States/UTs with an estimated cost of Rs.1726.74 Crores. The details of the projects are given in the Annexure. Under 54 sanctioned projects of the PRASHAD Scheme across 28 States/UTs, the Ministry of Tourism has developed various amenities for improving overall tourist experience such as Tourist Facilitation Centres, Approach Roads and Parking, Waiting Halls, Cloak Rooms, Public Convenience, Cafeteria, Solid Waste Management, Signages, Site Development viz. Landscaping and beautification, Development of Annadanam Centres, etc. As per the Report on Evaluation of Central Sector Scheme- PRASHAD by IIM Rohtak in the year 2021, the Scheme has helped in increasing the visitor satisfaction, ease of travel and aesthetical aspects of the selected heritage sites. Also, the report mentioned that the Scheme has led to increase in the positive overall visitor user experience.(c) to (e) : Development of tourist destinations is undertaken by the respective State Government/Union Territory (UT) Administration. The Ministry complements the efforts of States/UTs by developing and promoting various tourism products of the country, through various schemes and initiatives. This process is undertaken in consultation with State Governments (SGs)/UT Administrations (UTs). The Ministry of Tourism under Swadesh Darshan scheme has developed projects under various thematic circuits such as Spiritual Circuits, Buddhist Circuits, Tirthankar Circuits, Krishna Circuits, Ramayana Circuits, etc. Under the PRASHAD Scheme, the Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned various projects for the development of tourism infrastructure at identified pilgrimage destinations. Through the schemes, the Ministry of Tourism aims to enhance the country’s tourism landscape by adopting a holistic approach to infrastructure development and has sanctioned components such as upgradation of tourist arrival areas with Tourist Facilitation Centres, approach roads and parking; provision of basic amenities like waiting halls and cloakrooms; and development of utility infrastructure, landscaping and beautification and the development of Annadanam Centres, etc. While the regular maintenance of cleanliness at pilgrimage sites is the responsibility of concerned State Government/UT administration, local bodies and temple trusts, the Ministry of Tourism has sanctionedvarious interventions to promote hygiene, and cleanliness such as solid waste management systems, sewage treatment plants, public conveniences, bio-toilets, pet bottle flaking machines, dustbins, waste segregation units, and Pious waste management. The Ministry of Tourism also encourages State Governments/UT Administrations to leverage innovative technologies for enhancing visitor experience at pilgrimage and heritage sites and has sanctioned components such as experiential centres and AR/VR facilities under the Scheme. Further, the Ministry has sanctioned components such as Amphitheaters, Open Air Theatres (OATs), Light and Sound shows, Interpretation centres which provides a platform for narrating the rich history and significance of these sites. ***********ANNEXURE STATEMENT IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) AND (b) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*318 ANSWERED ON 11.08.2025 REGARDING ACHIEVEMENTS OF PRASHAD SCHEME BY SHRI RAVINDRA DATTARAM WAIKAR AND DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE List of projects under PRASHAD Scheme Sanction Amount S. Sanction Amount Released Physical No State Project Name Year (Rs. (RS. Progress . Crores) Crores) 1 Andhra Development of 2015-16 27.77 27.77 100% Pradesh Amaravati Town, Guntur District as a Tourist Destination 2 Andhra Development of 2017-18 43.08 43.08 100% Pradesh Srisailam Temple 3 Andhra Sri Varaha 2022-23 54.04 27.37 65% Pradesh Lakshmi Narsimha Swami VariDevasthanam at Simhachalam in Vishakhapatnam Temple 4 Andhra Development of 2024-25 25.33 - - Pradesh Pilgrimage Tourism Infrastructure in Annavaram Temple Town 5 Arunachal Development of 2020-21 37.88 31.02 92% Pradesh ParshuramKund, LohitDistt. 6 Assam Development of 2015-16 29.80 29.80 100% Kamakhya Temple and Pilgrimage Destination inand around Guwahati 7 Bihar Development at 2015-16 29.62 29.62 100% Patna Sahib 8 Bihar Development of 2014-15 3.63 3.63 100% basic facilities at Vishnupad temple, Gaya, Bihar 9 Bihar Development of 2024-25 13.29 - - AmbikaBhawani Temple, Saran 10 Chhattisg Development of 2020-21 48.44 40.19 100% arh MaaBamleshwari Devi Temple, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon District, Chhattisgarh 11 Goa Development of 2024-25 16.46 4.68 - Bom Jesus Basilica 12 Gujarat Development of 2016-17 10.46 10.46 100% Dwarka 13 Gujarat Development of 2016-17 45.36 45.36 100% Pilgrimage Amenities at Somnath 14 Gujarat Development of 2018-19 47.12 47.12 100% Promenade at Somnath 15 Gujarat Development of 2022-23 50.00 30.00 38% Pilgrimage Facilities at AmbajiTemple, Banaskantha, Gujarat 16 Haryana Development of 2019-20 48.53 34.68 74% Mata Mansa Devi Temple and Nada SahebGurudwara in Panchkula District17 Jammu & Development at 2016-17 40.46 34.30 100% Kashmir Hazratbal Shrine, Srinagar 18 Jharkhand Development of 2018-19 36.79 34.95 100% Baba BaidyanathDham, Deoghar 19 Karnataka Development of 2023-24 45.38 0.00 0% Pilgrimage Amenities at Sri Chamundeshwari Devi Temple, Mysuru 20 Karnataka Development of 2024-25 18.37 - - RenukaYallama Devi temple 21 Karnataka Development of 2024-25 22.25 - 0% Basic Amenities at Papnash Temple, Bidar dist. 22 Kerala Development at 2016-17 45.19 45.19 100% Guruvayur Temple 23 Madhya Development of 2020-21 49.99 42.47 100% Pradesh Amarkantak 24 Madhya Development of 2017-18 43.93 43.93 100% Pradesh Omkareshwar 25 Maharash Development of 2017-18 45.41 38.44 91% tra Trimbakeshwar, Nashik 26 Meghalaya Development of 2020-21 29.29 27.78 100% Pilgrimage Facilitation in Meghalaya 27 Mizoram Development of 2022-23 44.89 26.37 44.5% Infrastructure for Pilgrimage and Heritage Tourism in the State of Mizoram 28 Mizoram Development of 2024-25 5.47 - - Basic Amenitiesunder PRASHAD scheme in Vangchhia, Champhai District 29 Nagaland Development of 2018-19 25.20 23.56 100% Pilgrimage Infrastructure in Nagaland 30 Nagaland Development of 2022-23 18.18 15.45 99% Pilgrimage Tourism Infrastructure at Zunheboto 31 Odisha Infrastructure 2014-15 50.00 10.00 27% Development at Puri, Shree JagannathDham - Ramachandi - Prachi River front at Demuliunder Mega Circuit 32 Puducherry Development of 2024-25 25.94 - - Pilgrim Facilites& Tourist attractions for Sri Dharbaranyeswar a Temple 33 Punjab Development of 2015-16 6.40 6.40 100% KarunaSagar Valmiki Sthal at Amritsar 34 Punjab Development of 2021-22 30.52 21.93 79% Chamkaur Sahib at Rupar, Punjab 35 Rajasthan Integrated 2015-16 32.64 26.11 100% Development of Pushkar/Ajmer 36 Sikkim Development of 2020-21 33.32 28.31 100% Pilgrimage Facilitation at Four PatronSaints, Yuksom 37 Tamil Development of 2016-17 13.99 13.99 100% Nadu Kanchipuram 38 Tamil Development of 2016-17 4.86 4.86 100% Nadu Velankanni 39 Tamil Development of 8 2024-25 40.94 - - Nadu Navagraha Temples 40 Telangana Development of 2020-21 38.90 33.07 100% Jogulamba Devi Temple, Alampur 41 Telangana Development of 2022-23 62.00 32.73 75% Pilgrimage and Heritage Tourism Infrastructure at Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Mulugu 42 Telangana Development of 2022-23 41.38 8.43 29% Pilgrimage Infrastructure at Bhadrachalam, BhadradriKothag udem District 43 Telangana Development of 2024-25 4.22 - - Basic Amenities at goddess RenukaYellamaD evasthanam 44 Tripura Development of 2020-21 34.43 28.01 79% Tripura Sundari Temple, Udaipur 45 Uttar Development of 2015-16 18.73 18.73 100% Pradesh Varanasi – Phase –I 46 Uttar Development of 2014-15 10.98 10.98 100% Pradesh Mathura- Vrindavan as Mega Tourist Circuit (Ph-II) 47 Uttar River Cruise 2017-18 9.02 9.02 100% Pradesh Tourism inGanga, Varanasi 48 Uttar Construction of 2014-15 9.36 9.36 100% Pradesh Tourist Facilitation Centre at Vrindavan 49 Uttar Development of 2017-18 44.60 31.77 100% Pradesh Varanasi – Phase –II 50 Uttar Development of 2018-19 37.59 30.97 100% Pradesh Infrastructure facilities at Govardhan 51 Uttarakh Integrated 2015-16 34.77 34.77 100% and Development of Kedarnath 52 Uttarakh Development of 2018-19 56.15 38.38 85% and Infrastructure for Pilgrimage Facilitation in Badrinath Ji Dham 53 Uttarakh Augmentation of 2021-22 54.36 10.22 100% and Pilgrimage Infrastructure Facilities and Gangotri and YamunotriDham 54 West Development of 2016-17 30.03 23.39 100% Bengal Belur Math Total 1726.74 1168.65 *****