Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday virtually inaugurated a new circuit house which has built been near the iconic Somnath Temple in his home state of Gujarat. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, PM Modi listed four ways to boost the tourism sector in the country–cleanliness, facilities, time and thinking.
“Today, the nation looks at tourism in a holistic way. Therefore, we need to do the following four things to boost this industry,” he said.
Speaking on cleanliness, Modi said that earlier, tourist sites, and even places of pilgrimage, fared poorly on this aspect. However, it was his government’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan which brought about a change.
Facilities, PM Modi opined, should not be limited only to tourist sites. “Facility means facility of transportation, internet, correct information, medical and health etc. Today, all-round work is being done in this direction,” he remarked.
The Prime Minister equated time with a Twenty20 match of cricket, saying that this is important because today, people want to cover many places in a short span of time.
Lastly, and importantly, having a modern and innovative thought process is welcome, but what also matters is how much pride we have in our ancient heritage, Modi said.
Prime Minister Modi further listed initiatives undertaken by his government to honour eminent personalities. “After independence, buildings were constructed in Delhi only for selected families. However, it is this government which built the Baba Saheb Memorial in Delhi and APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial in Rameshwaram. Similarly, attention was given to places related to Subhas Chandra Bose and Shyamji Krishna Varma,” he said.
About Somnath Temple circuit house:
According to a release from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the new facility has been built at a cost of ₹30 crore. A new circuit house was needed as the existing one is far away from the temple. This new facility has VIP and deluxe rooms, suites, conference room, auditorium hall etc.
It also makes available sea view from every room.