Namita Deb, BS News Agency: The state government has taken a special initiative to put West Bengal on the world tourism map at a new level. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari formally unveiled the new logo and branding of the state tourism department with this new slogan and identity - 'We will see it in a new way, we will see it with new eyes' - at a colorful event organized at the Dhandhanye Theater in Kolkata on Friday. Apart from the Chief Minister, state tourism minister Shankar Ghosh, industries minister Tapas Roy, minister of state for information and culture Purnima Chakraborty and several top officials of the state administration were present at this prestigious event organized by the state tourism department.
Chief Minister Subhendu Adhikari, participating in the new logo and branding unveiling program of the state tourism department, announced several major projects to revive the tourism infrastructure of West Bengal. Announcing the allocation of a budget of Rs 500 crore to boost the state's tourism sector, he expressed regret and said, "Once there was the name 'Destination West Bengal'. But later the tourism potential of the state, including its wildlife, has been destroyed. Tourists go to Sikkim via our state. We are taking special steps to change this situation."
Outlining the future tourism outline of the state, the Chief Minister said that all the tourist guest houses of the state government spread from Sundarbans to Darjeeling will be modernized quickly. A final decision has been taken to connect Kolkata as the 17th city of the country with the 'Water Metro' project to bring about a revolutionary change in commercial and tourist transport by utilizing the Ganga. In addition to bringing new state-of-the-art boats to facilitate tourists on the river, the government has planned to decorate the historic Mandarmani beach to international standards on the model of Goa. Giving a big message in terms of environment and wildlife protection, the Chief Minister said that 2 million mangrove saplings will be planted this year to restore the destroyed natural balance of the Sundarbans and create 'Destination Sundarbans'. She also announced that the Forest Department will officially release tigers in the Buxa Tiger Project in North Bengal on October 2.
Keeping in mind the culture of Bengalis and their traditions, the Tourism Department has identified 12 specific days on which all the employees and officers of the department will be present in the office wearing traditional Bengali attire. Welcoming this proposal of Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh, the Chief Minister directed that if the specified days are holidays, this attire should be worn on the previous working day. Those days are - Saraswati Puja, Dol, Buddha Purnima, Poyala Baishakh, Jamaisashthi, Rath Yatra, Rakhi Purnima, Janmashtami, Durga Puja Ashtami, Kali Puja, Bhaiphonta, Paush Sankranti. At the event, Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh said in an emotional voice, "With this belief of 'Born to lead, ready to rise' - we have been working to put Bengal on the world map for the last three months with the trust of the Chief Minister. The unveiling of this logo is the beginning of a new horizon for state tourism."
After receiving new messages from this event at the Dhandhanye Preekshagriha, according to informed sources, this government mega plan and the allocation of Rs 500 crore will take the state's tourism business to a new height.