M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Nov 19: Netarhat is set to become more and more tourist-friendly as its overall look comprising roads, roadside shops, and dilapidated unusable structures among other things is going to be tuned in with nature.
As per sources, Jharkhand Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh visited Netarhat last month, which was his personal visit when he noticed things at Netarhat are more in the fashion of piecemeal than that of integrated way.
Back in Ranchi, the state chief secretary convened a meeting on November 1 regarding Netarhat’s development as a composite tourist hub or destination instead of becoming just a tourist address to the sunset and sunrise points.
State tourism secretary Manoj Kumar (IAS) while talking to lagatar24.com today informed about the tourists’ comforts or facilities that are to be added here. To make the entry to Netarhat attractive, an entry gate has been suggested from the Mahuadanr side.
The tourism secretary said, “The chief secretary desired that roads to 10 tourists locations here be blacktopped and where there is no issue of the forest land coming in the road, be widened up to 5.5 meters and where the road falls in the forest land that stretch be left intact.”
He further said the chief secretary has directed that a detailed project report of the roads be ready latest by this December end so that in the coming first two months of the new year work on the roads could be taken up.
About roadside shops, the chief secretary is of the view that all such shops across the roads be provided with handmade bamboo works at the expense of the government to give them a look of freshness. Sources said that Latehar DC Bhor Singh Yadav has put in his team to survey the roadside shops in need to have a healthy look. Survey and identification of as many as 67 such shops in the Bazaar Tarn area have been completed.
Manoj Kumar also said that as now Netarhat has a police station, the space occupied by the erstwhile police outpost, has to be emptied to create adequate parking space for the tourists. The space is now the house of old and junk vehicles which has to be cleared.
A foot-comforting walking band has also been proposed For tourists who want a morning walk across the lake.
The forest department has been directed to explore and develop a ‘home away from home stay’ at two locations Sirsi and Korgi villages. It will be rural tourism in all the ambience of reality.
Sources said earlier it was proposed to have a herbal park here which now has been rechristened with a broader canvas of Netarhat Bio Diversity Park. Netarhat is a house to beautiful trees like Pines and Oaks and pine cones are found around littering the space which can be made into a money-earning artefact.
“The chief secretary wanted the Sakhi Mandals to get to the pine cones through Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) which will further augment their daily income too,” Manoj Kumar said.
As Yoga and Wellness accompany tourism, a proposal to start a Yoga and Wellness centre has also been given.
As per sources, a Netarhat Tourism Development Board is to be created for which the Latehar DC has been asked to prepare and send a proposal of the board to the state government for its approval in the cabinet.
This board will be the single command of the all-round development of Netarhat where in government will be sending annual grants.
Tourist Guide Mitra, tourist sites map, toilet, garbage bin, sitting benches, signage, selfie points, view points etc are to be further made more and more serviceable. Boating, water sports and a joyful children’s park are to be built here. Nashpati Bagaan and Magnolia Point need to be more marketed to promote tourism.
Many tourists told this correspondent that as Netarhat has no railway station of its own, it is a road journey all the way and for Kolkata tourists, it is more than a 500-plus km road journey to Netarhat which finds the elderly deferring their trip.
The tourists demand twice-a-week air service to this place especially in the winter season when hordes of tourists come here to spend days ending the current year.
Kumar Ashish, the deputy director of the North division of Palamu Tiger Reserve said, “We are glad to know that Netarhat is going to have a comprehensive facelift as then we will be also marketing our Betla National Park very comfortably.”
Sources said the chief secretary Sukhdev Singh held the review meeting on Netarhat this Friday which was attended by a battery of IAS and IFS officers like Ajay Kumar Singh, Sunil Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Anjali Yadav (all IAS) besides Sanjay Srivastav, N K Singh, Kumar Ashutosh (all IFS officers).
Latehar DC Bhor Singh Yadav (IAS) and deputy director South division of the PTR Mukesh Kumar (IFS) attended the review meeting of the chief secretary online.
