Par panel recommends 'Inter-Ministerial Women's Tourism Safety Task Force'

New Delhi, Mar 25 (PTI) A parliamentary panel has recommended establishing an 'Inter-Ministerial Women's Tourism Safety Task Force' to develop comprehensive safety protocols, monitoring mechanisms and emergency response systems specifically designed for women tourists.

In its report presented in Parliament on Tuesday, the committee has acknowledged that environmental sustainability must transition from an "auxiliary consideration to a core principle" in tourism development, and to institutionalise this approach, it has recommended developing the 'National Sustainable Tourism Certification System' with clearly defined parameters for ecological impact, resource efficiency, and community engagement. The report -- 'Demands for Grants (2025-26) of Ministry of Tourism' -- is by the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture.

In the report, the Committee says that it views with "grave concern" the reduction in allocations and negative recoveries recorded under the 'Safe Tourist Destinations for Women' initiative.

"This regression contradicts the fundamental principle of inclusive tourism development and may significantly impact women travellers' confidence in Indian destinations," it flagged.

"The Committee recommends establishing an Inter-Ministerial Women's Tourism Safety Task Force comprising representatives from the Ministries of Tourism, Women & Child Development, Home Affairs, and state tourism departments to develop comprehensive safety protocols, monitoring mechanisms, and emergency response systems specifically designed for women tourists," the report said.

Additionally, the Ministry of Tourism should allocate funds for implementing technology-driven safety measures, including GPS-enabled transportation monitoring, CCTV surveillance at tourist hotspots, and a centralised tourism safety application with real-time assistance features and emergency response capabilities, it said.

The Government of India has allocated Rs 2,541.07 crores to the Ministry of Tourism in the Union Budget 2025-26 which is 199 per cent higher than the RE 2024-25 allocation of Rs 850.36 crore, the report said.

The Committee, in its report, said it notes with "serious concern" the "chronic pattern of fund underutilisation" by the Ministry of Tourism, which represents not merely an "administrative challenge but a fundamental impediment to the growth of India's tourism potential".

"The alarming statistics of only 33.4 per cent utilisation of allocated funds in 2023-24 (Rs 801.81 crore out of Rs 2400 crore) and the continuation of this trend in 2024-25 (only Rs 396.82 crore utilised thus far out of Rs 2479.62 crore) indicates deep-rooted systemic inefficiencies that require comprehensive structural reforms," the panel flagged.

"While the Ministry has attributed this underperformance to administrative bottlenecks, procedural delays, and coordination challenges with implementing agencies, the Committee finds these explanations inadequate and reflective of entrenched operational weaknesses that demand immediate redressal," it said.

The panel in its report further said the flagship 'Swadesh Darshan' scheme, with a Budget Estimate (BE) of Rs 1,900 crore for 2025-26 has "consistently shown underutilisation", utilising only Rs 349.87 crore against the Revised Estimate (RE) of Rs 818 crore in 2023-24, and a mere Rs 133.91 crore against Rs 350 crore in 2024-25.

"Similar patterns of underutilisation plague other key initiatives including PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive), raising substantial concerns about implementation capacity and project management frameworks," it said.

"This persistent underutilisation suggests structural inefficiencies in project execution and monitoring systems that require immediate redressal to translate financial allocations into tangible tourism infrastructure development," the report said.

To address the "chronic underutilisation of funds", the Committee has recommended implementing a "three-tier monitoring mechanism" for Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes, comprising central oversight, state-level coordination committees, and destination-specific implementation teams with defined quarterly milestones and real-time digital tracking systems.

Furthermore, the ministry should strategically leverage the public-private partnership (PPP) model to enhance operational efficiency and attract additional investment for tourism infrastructure development, it added.

The Committee has also recommended the development of a 'Tourism Implementation Rating System (TIRS)' to evaluate and rank states based on their efficiency in implementing tourism projects, timely submission of required documentation, and overall fund utilisation patterns.

The Committee also recommended setting up 'Regional Tourism Coordination Councils (RTCCs)' that bring together clusters of states with similar tourism characteristics for quarterly coordination meetings to address regional implementation challenges.

The panel also suggested development of tourism hubs along national highways, showcasing the unique regional heritage, cuisine, and offering world-class facilities.

The panel recommended "targeting 100 such sites" in the coming year to refocus efforts on developing the local cuisine, art, culture, and heritage of each state. PTI KND NB NB

Source: PTI