Ralegan Siddhi – the ancestral village of social activist Anna Hazare is all set to be under the tourism radar, with Maharashtra Tourism Department Corporation (MTDC) planning to conduct trips for the interested tourists. The village which was been declared as an ' ideal village' by the state government couple of decades ago has been in last couple of year been under focus of media due to anti-corruption movement started by Hazare.
Apart from Ralegan Siddhi, ashrams set up by well know social reformers Vinoba Bhave and Baba Amte, an orphanage centre in Pune run by Sindhutai Sabkar, Hiware Bazar village in Ahmed Nagar which is known for its water conservation projects introduced by Popatrao Pawar, Vigyan Ashram educational project set up by Dr SS Kalbag are the other centres which have been chosen for the 'social circuit tourism'.
" The permissions from these circuit authorities have been taken and they are more than happy to accommodate the tourist visits. We will be inviting Express of Interest (EOI) from the private tour operators for the conduct of these tours." Said Kishori Gadre, General Manager, MTDC.
The MTDC officials said that they invented the tour plans, after realizing that there is a huge demand to visit these places, but the tourists don't know whom to approach or how to visit the place. " In Maharashtra , social activism has been our strength with so many extra ordinary social reformers have completely changed the eco-socio dynamics of the villages or regions they have come from. They (tourists) will be able to take with them the ideas behind these reforms and spread it in their own ways. Likewise they can also bring some on there own ideas" adds Gadre.
As per the plan, the tourists will be taken to these places in a group of 40-50 people and the charges will be decided taking into consideration the destination from where the tour starts to where it ends, among other things.
a_shahakar@dnaindia.net
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