UP cabinet okays setting up of Eco-tourism board

The tourism minister said that the state has a forest cover of over 16,000 sq km with beautiful landscapes, flowing rivers, waterfalls, and endangered birds and animals, having potential for attracting domestic and international tourists

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday gave its approval for setting up an eco-tourism development board to fully utilise the tourism potential of the state.

National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh enjoys tri-state ecology. It fosters and raises critically endangered species like Indian Gharials and Gangetic Dolphins. (@uptourismgov/ Twitter)

The board will be headed by the state chief minister with ministers of 10 departments as its members, tourism minister Jaiveer Singh told newspersons here.

The need for the board was being felt for long and a decision to set it up was taken at the meeting presided over by chief minister Yogi Adityanath, he said.

The minister said the board will help the state attract domestic and international tourists. There are vast historical, cultural, religious heritage and natural resources in the state needing proper publicity, which will be done through this board, he said.

Ten departments included in the board are tourism, forest, AYUSH, rural development and irrigation, urban development, agriculture, horticulture, sport and transport.

The chief secretary of the state will be its member secretary and experts from prominent institutions will also be included in this.

The tourism minister said the state has a forest cover of 16, 582 sq km with beautiful landscapes, flowing rivers, waterfalls, availability of endangered birds and animals.

The state has 36 wildlife sanctuaries, 12 bird sanctuaries, nine state eco-tourism circuits which can be fully exploited, he said.