Cabinet Approves Formation of Uttar Pradesh Eco-Tourism Development Board | 19 Aug 2022

Why in News?

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on August 16, 2022, approved the proposal for the formation of the Uttar Pradesh Eco-Tourism Development Board for the development and management of tourism infrastructure facilities in the permissible areas outside the forest sanctuaries of the state.

Key Points

• Eco-Tourism Board will be headquartered in Lucknow and Chief Minister will be its chairman.
• 10 departments (Tourism, Forest, AYUSH, Rural Development, Irrigation, Urban Development, Agriculture, Horticulture, Sports and Transport) have been included in this board.
• The composition of the Board will be the Eco-Tourism Development Board and the Eco-Tourism Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will be responsible for the necessary action to fulfill the objectives of the Environment Tourism Development Board.
• Eco-tourism Development Board will facilitate activities like Trekking, hiking, cycling, caravan tourism, seaplane and river cruise, adventure tourism as well as hotels, resorts and infrastructure facilities, ballooning, jungle camping and wellness tourism such as- Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy etc for the development of the eco-tourism sector.
• The members of the Development Board will be of two types. In these, the official (ex-officio) members and special ministers will be members. Agriculture Minister, Forest Minister, Ayush Minister, Finance Minister, Tourism Minister, Irrigation Minister, Rural Development Minister, Chief Secretary, Principal Chief Conservator and Head of Department, MD of Uttar Pradesh Forest Corporation will be members of the board.
• The Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/Secretary will be the Member Secretary of the Tourism Board. Additional Chief Secretary / Principal Secretary Environment, Forest and Climate Change will be in the role of its coordinator.
• Representatives of IRCTC, representative of Sashastra Seema Bal Uttar Pradesh, representative of World Wildlife Fund India, representative of Bombay Natural History Society, representative of Turtle Conservation Fund, representative of Katarniaghat Foundation, five nominated environment and tourism experts will be special ministers. Apart from this, two other reputed institutions working in the field of environment as special ministers will be selected for every two years.