145;Tourism plan won146;t harm ashram146;

With concerns being raised about a plan to promote tourism at Mahatma Gandhi8217;s Sewagram Ashram, the district administration has sought ...

With concerns being raised about a plan to promote tourism at Mahatma Gandhi8217;s Sewagram Ashram, the district administration has sought to allay fears that the development would affect the ambience at the commune in any way.

Wardha Collector S. Chokkalingam said the tourism development plan, seen by some as a 8216;8216;non-Gandhian8217;8217; approach to tide over the financial crisis faced by the ashram near Wardha, does not propose changes within the commune. 8216;8216;We won8217;t touch the ashram. In fact, we will take experts8217; help to see how best we can conserve it. No private vehicles will be allowed and visitors will have to take battery-driven cars from a certain point to ensure there8217;s no pollution,8217;8217; he said.

The Rs 11-crore tourism plan includes a convention centre, a light and sound show based on Gandhi8217;s life, a boating and jetty facility, landscaping, sports and recreation centre, an open air theatre, an exhibition pavilion, a garden and a restaurant, proposed to be developed half-a-km away from the ashram.

The move is being considered under the Gandhi Circuit scheme proposed to be funded by the Central Government8217;s tourism department. Apart from Sevagram, it covers Porbandar, Sabarmati and Pavnar, places associated with events in Gandhi8217;s life. The Sewagram and the Rs 1.3-crore Pavnar projects, designed by Nagpur-based architects, are to be implemented by Wardha8217;s district administration along with the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation MTDC. The Centre will only provide the funds. A meeting held two months ago to discuss the plan was attended, among others, by the chairman of the ashram8217;s management committee Kanakmal Gandhi.

Providing details of the plan, Chokkalingam said: 8216;8216;In the ashram premises, we propose to increase the Yatri Niwas capacity from 60 to 100. A bio-mass gasification plant as energy source, shops, Sulabh shauchalayas for villagers, upgradation of the ashram road and street-illumination are the other things proposed. The cost would be Rs 2 crore.8217;8217;

The international convention centre and other complimentary projects will be undertaken with the remaining Rs 9 crore, he added.

The Ashram8217;s management too is at pains to clarify it is concerned with the scheme to be implemented around the Ashram premises. 8216;8216;We have nothing to do with what will be developed away from the Ashram,8217;8217; Rambhau Mhaskar, a committee member, said.