Syllabus: GS2/Governance, Schemes
Context
- Public Accounts Committee (PAC), led by K.C. Venugopal, criticized the Tourism Ministry for poor execution of the Swadesh Darshan scheme.
About
- The panel was reviewing a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the scheme.
- Despite the Ministry of Tourism’s claims of completion for most of the sanctioned projects, the panel found substantial discrepancies.
Swadesh Darshan
- The Ministry of Tourism launched its flagship scheme of ‘Swadesh Darshan’ in 2014-15.
- The Ministry has now revamped it as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 with the objective to develop sustainable and responsible destinations following a tourist & destination centric approach.
- Theme-Based Tourist Circuits: It identifies various thematic circuits based on specific themes such as:
- Spiritual circuits (e.g., Char Dham Yatra, Buddhist circuit)
- Cultural circuits (e.g., North East Circuit, Tribal Circuit)
- Heritage circuits
- Wildlife circuits
- Coastal circuits
- Funding: The Ministry of Tourism allocates funds to various states and Union Territories for the development of these circuits.
Key issues raised
- Lapses in Planning: No feasibility studies conducted before project launch.
- Financial Mismanagement: Budget overruns due to poor planning; approvals granted without Detailed Project Reports (DPRs).
- Weak Monitoring: No formal mechanism for project evaluation or approval; several projects delayed or incomplete.
- Tourism Ministry’s Claim vs. Reality: The Ministry of Tourism claimed that 75 out of 76 projects were completed, but the committee found that several projects, including the Kanwaria route in Bihar, Tribal circuit in Telangana, and Sree Narayana Guru Ashram in Kerala, remained incomplete or non-functional.
Way Ahead
- The committee has instructed the Ministry of Tourism to conduct physical inspections of all the projects and provide a comprehensive report within three weeks.
- The committee also asked for details on how the scheme impacted employment generation and how it affected tourist footfall, as these were key indicators of the scheme’s success.
| About Public Accounts Committee (PAC) – Constitutional Status: Not a constitutional body; formed under Rule 308 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. – Composition: 22 members (15 from Lok Sabha, 7 from Rajya Sabha) 1. Elected annually by ParliamentChairperson appointed by the Speaker of Lok Sabha. 2. The Chairperson is usually from the opposition party, not the ruling party. Function: 1. Examines audit reports of the CAG of India 2. Scrutinises public expenditure to ensure it is not extravagant or irregular 3. Ensures accountability of the Executive to the Legislature 4. Works in tandem with CAG to maintain fiscal discipline and transparency |
Source: TH