Just a month after coming to power in Delhi, the BJP -led government has now decided to undertake a branding exercise for the city in order to have a lasting imprint of the ruling party as well as the national capital’s image, by promoting it as a heritage and tourism hub.
Further eyeing the Bihar polls which is scheduled later this year, the Delhi government doubled the budget allocation for Maithili-Bhojpuri academy from Rs 3.50 Crore to Rs 6.30 Crore. “I have seen Delhi very closely since my student life. I have seen all its colours and have found that perhaps it is the most beautiful city in the world,” chief minister Rekha Gupta said.
The branding measure for which Rs 25 Crore has been allocated will entail creation of a catchy tagline on the lines of the ones in other States like Rajasthan with the catchline of Padharo Mhare Desh, Gujarat’s Kuch Din to Gujaro Gujarat Me and Kerala’s God’s Own Country, among others, said tourism minister Kapil Mishra.
As part of the makeover bid, the city will also boast of a state guest house as speculations are rife that the “Sheesh Mahal” (previous official residence of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal) will be converted into the facility to host government’s official guests.
Aiming to transform the national capital into a major tourist hub, the Delhi government has allocated a total of Rs 117 Crore for various schemes as compared to Rs 66 Crore last year by the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. The national capital will host an international film festival to culturally enrich and promote Delhi as a film destination for which Rs 30 Crore has been allocated.
The government also plans to introduce boat tours on the Yamuna River and a new tourist circuit will be developed in the Lutyens area.
Reflecting on the city’s cultural richness, the Chief Minister quoted 19th-century poet Mirza Ghalib - “Ek roz apni rooh se pucha ki Dilli kya hai, toh yun jawaab mein keh gayi, yeh duniya maano jism hai aur Dilli uski jaan”(One day, I asked my soul what Delhi is, and it replied: This world is like a body, and Delhi is its soul).
