40 projects sanctioned for ₹3295.76 crore under tourism initiative

The question asked the Ministry of Tourism to provide details on the review, institutional framework, project status, and impact assessment of the SASCI – Development of Iconic Tourist Centres to Global Scale initiative, with specific references to Jharkhand and Karnataka.

Asked and answered by: Asked by Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab and Shri Chandra Prakash Choudhary; Answered by the Ministry of Tourism (Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat).

What the government said

• 40 projects were sanctioned across 23 States in FY 2024-25 with 100% central funding totaling ₹3295.76 Crore.
• Two projects in Karnataka were sanctioned: 'Ecotourism & Cultural Hub at Roerich and Devika Rani Estate Tataguni in Bengaluru' (₹99.17 Crore sanctioned, 12% physical progress) and 'Development of Savadatti Yallammagudda in Belgavi' (₹100.00 Crore sanctioned, 0% physical progress).
• The Jharkhand project 'Eco-Tourism Development of Tilaiyya in Koderma' is listed as 'Stalled' with 0% physical progress and no expected completion date.
• For FY 2025-26, Special Assistance of ₹250 Crore each was sanctioned and released to Nagaland, Mizoram, and Himachal Pradesh under amended SASCI guidelines.
• A National Institutional Framework comprising the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) and Mission Directorate (MD) is used for coordination, involving ministries of Culture, Housing, Civil Aviation, and others.
• A Program Management Information System (PMIS) has been developed as a unified digital platform for monitoring destination development schemes.
• The government stated that comprehensive impact on tourism growth and employment will be assessable progressively after project completion and operational stabilization.

Also in the document

• The annexure explicitly lists the Jharkhand project as 'Stalled' with 0% physical progress, while most other projects are marked as 'Ongoing' or 'Not Started'.
• The answer does not provide specific details on the 'review' findings requested in part (a), instead providing general information about guidelines and sanctions.
• The government noted that the impact assessment mechanism is not yet fully applicable because projects are at different stages of implementation.