Agra admn told to mobilise funds for Taj Mahotsav
Vijay Upadhyay
Agra. It is the only annual tourism event organised in Agra by the UP tourism department and this year the much-awaited Taj Mahotsava shall feature a 'begging bowl' in the hands of the Agra administrators, after the tourism department failed to 
sanction funds for organising this fest.
The ten-day Taj Mahotsava, slated to be held from February 18 to 27 each year, marks the formal closure of the tourism season in western India and has even been listed in the annual festival calendar of the Union Tourism Ministry.
But this year, after the State's tourism department sanctioned just Rs one lakh for the event, the responsibility of arranging funds for the event has fallen on the shoulders of the Agra District Magistrate, who in turn, has passed over this 'bowl' to his subordinates, asking them to arrange for funds from various government departments and private entrepreneurs.
Talking to The Pioneer, DK Burman, Jt Director (Tourism), UP said that the Taj Mahotsava was a crafts and cultural festival held annually in Agra by an organising committee, headed by the Agra Divisional Commissioner. This committee used to receive funds to the tune of Rs one crore each year from the State tourism department and private sponsors.
But this year, he said, the department had provided just Rs one lakh, which was not sufficient even for providing drinking water inside the expansive Crafts Village. Private sponsors too, he said, had been showing reluctance in sponsoring the events due to the low interest being shown by the tourism department.
The only respite was an allocation of Rs 15 lakh by the Union Textile Ministry.
Consequently, he said, the only option left with the organisers was to arrange funds locally from private entrepreneurs and government departments. Agra District Magistrate Sanjay Prasad had been requested to arrange the maximum possible funds by 'utilising' his own resources.
He expressed the hope that the committee would be able to arrange adequate funds to hold the mega-events with the 'help' of the Agra administration.
This year the festival also gains significance, as this is the 15th consecutive year when the Taj Mahotsava is being held under the auspices of the UP Tourism Department. But the irony is that while the UP Government is keen on spending millions on holding fairs in places like Lucknow and Sefai, far away from the tourism circuit, the enthusiasm is found completely lacking in the case of the Taj Mahotsava, which is also the sole 'tourism-centric fair' of the State.
sanction funds for organising this fest.The ten-day Taj Mahotsava, slated to be held from February 18 to 27 each year, marks the formal closure of the tourism season in western India and has even been listed in the annual festival calendar of the Union Tourism Ministry.
But this year, after the State's tourism department sanctioned just Rs one lakh for the event, the responsibility of arranging funds for the event has fallen on the shoulders of the Agra District Magistrate, who in turn, has passed over this 'bowl' to his subordinates, asking them to arrange for funds from various government departments and private entrepreneurs.
Talking to The Pioneer, DK Burman, Jt Director (Tourism), UP said that the Taj Mahotsava was a crafts and cultural festival held annually in Agra by an organising committee, headed by the Agra Divisional Commissioner. This committee used to receive funds to the tune of Rs one crore each year from the State tourism department and private sponsors.
But this year, he said, the department had provided just Rs one lakh, which was not sufficient even for providing drinking water inside the expansive Crafts Village. Private sponsors too, he said, had been showing reluctance in sponsoring the events due to the low interest being shown by the tourism department.
The only respite was an allocation of Rs 15 lakh by the Union Textile Ministry.
Consequently, he said, the only option left with the organisers was to arrange funds locally from private entrepreneurs and government departments. Agra District Magistrate Sanjay Prasad had been requested to arrange the maximum possible funds by 'utilising' his own resources.
He expressed the hope that the committee would be able to arrange adequate funds to hold the mega-events with the 'help' of the Agra administration.
This year the festival also gains significance, as this is the 15th consecutive year when the Taj Mahotsava is being held under the auspices of the UP Tourism Department. But the irony is that while the UP Government is keen on spending millions on holding fairs in places like Lucknow and Sefai, far away from the tourism circuit, the enthusiasm is found completely lacking in the case of the Taj Mahotsava, which is also the sole 'tourism-centric fair' of the State.
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