By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: The novel and unique meeting between investors and owners of palatial buildings named as ‘Heritage Meet’ would be held at Bhopal on Monday, December 17. All the preparations of this meet have been completed.
On the initiative taken by Minister of State for Tourism, Sports and Youth Welfare Minister (Independent Charge) Tukoji Rao Puar, all the owners of palatial buildings in the state and investors willing to run heritage hotels in Madhya Pradesh have been invited to take part in the Heritage Meet. The Heritage Meet would begin at 10 am at Hotel Jahan Numa Palace in the state capital.
The Heritage Meet is being organised by Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation and Tourism Department but their role would only be that of a facilitator who would provide a forum to willing investors and palatial building owners for man-to-man discussion. About 61 building owners and 50 willing investors are likely to take part in Heritage Meet. Minister of State for Tourism Puar has sent invitation letters to all the willing investors and palatial building owners to attend the Heritage Meet.
It may be mentioned here that presently the attraction of tourists towards heritage buildings is increasing day by day. Considerable progress has been made in this connection in Rajasthan and the effort has been appreciated by tourists visiting the desert state. Madhya Pradesh is richer than any other state in India as far as heritages and history are concerned. But due to lack of adequate a meaningful initiative utility of heritage buildings so far could not tapped .
However, now very creative and innovative steps are being taken by the present Madhya Pradesh government in this direction. Detailed survey of all the heritage buildings has been done and according to this survey there are 724 forts, palaces, fortresses and other heritage buildings which are available for heritage tourism in the state. Out of these 35 buildings are under the jurisdiction of Archaeological Survey of India and 103 under the jurisdiction of State Archaeology Department while 313 palatial houses are in the possession of the state government, but have not been declared as protected monuments. There are 275 palatial buildings in private hands. ([email protected])