Spl package sought for infra devpt in 2 dists

Spl package sought for infra devpt in 2 dists 

• Bhubaneswar: Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday wrote to Union culture and tourism minister G Kishan Reddy for a special package for developing infrastructural facilities in Sambalpur and Deogarh districts, with special focus on the birth- place of freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai.

• Highlighting the massive potential for tourism in the two districts, Pradhan said, "Despite being home to several tourist attractions such as Hiraku'd, which is one of the world's longest dams on the Mahanadi River, and the Huma leaning temple, Sambalpur remains relatively unexplored by both domestic and international tourists in comparison to coastal districts like Puri and Bhubaneswar."

• Pradhan added, "Deogarh can be an ideal destination for nature lovers to explore forests, hills and waterfalls. The district is also home to several ancient temples and forts like the Gopinath temple and the Deogarh Palace."

• His letter also laid emphasis on Khinda a small village which is the birthplace of Sai, who led a revolt against the British empire in 1857 and was imprisoned for 40 years. "Given the potential for tourism in Sambalpur and Deogarh, especially in Khinda, I seek your personal intervention in sanctioning a special package for the development of infrastructural facilities in the two districts," Pradhan said.