Even as the Dudhsagar Tour Operators’ Association have demanded waiver for Rs 10,000 fees, the government announced that the Dudhsafar waterfall will get facilities worth Rs 24 cr.
The taxi operators criticised the government for fee hike during pandemic saying it was inhuman as the season last year closed abruptly jn March when COVID19 started.
However, PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar gave no importance to this demand when they inaugurated the season.
PWD Minister Pauskar instead said that tourists have been facing a lot of hardships at Dudhsagar due to the limited facilities available there.
“Tourism at the waterfall will be promoted by developing tourism related infrastructure at Dudhsagar, which would be worth Rs 24 crore through funding from the Central government,” he said.
He added that the infrastructure will include improvement of rough forest roads leading to Dudhsagar; construction of toilet blocks; creation of drinking water facilities etc.
He said the NOC for the construction of improvement of the road to Dudhsagar was given by the Forest Department at a meeting held in the presence of the Chief Minister. In addition to this, a causeway will be built and money will also be sanctioned for the same.
When RS BJP MP Tendulkar addressed the gathering, he said that he is on the Central government’s tourism and transport committee, which took up the central funding for the creation of the infrastructure as described by his party colleague Pauskar.
Highlighting how Dudhsagar is world famous and thus warranted such funding and development, he said that this year he expects more domestic tourists to visit the waterfall given the ongoing COVID pandemic as compared to the usual footfalls of foreign tourists.
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