The Ministry of Tourism through its central sector schemes of ‘Swadesh Darshan (SD)’ and ‘Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)’ compliments the efforts of tourism infrastructure development by extending financial assistance to the State Governments/UT Administrations. The details of the Projects sanctioned in Odisha under SD & PRASHAD Schemes are as under:
| Scheme | Project | Amount Sanctioned |
| SD 1.0 | Development of Gopalpur, Barkul, Satapada and Tampara | Rs. 70.82 Crores |
| PRASHAD | Infrastructure Development at Puri | Rs. 50.00 Crores |
The Ministry has now revamped its Swadesh Darshan scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD 2.0) with the objective to develop sustainable and responsible tourism destinations and has notified 57 destinations in the country for development including ‘Koraput’ & ‘Debrigarh’ along with special attraction of ‘Khinda Village’ in Odisha. In addition, the Ministry has also identified ‘Chausath Yogini Temple’ and ‘Maa Kichakeswari Temple’ in Odisha for development under PRASHAD Scheme.
This information was given by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
