Prasad Scheme: Objectives, Strategies, Budgeting, and Benefits 

Under the Ministry of Tourism, the Government of India introduced the PRASAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive) Scheme for the 2014–2015 year. The program’s main goal is to raise awareness about religious tourism by creating and listing popular tourist spots across India. In order to provide thorough information on religious tourism, it aims to include tourist attractions in a prioritized, organized, and sustainable manner. The purpose of the PRASAD Scheme is to facilitate the growth and advancement of religious tourism in India. This topic is important from the UPSC IAS examination point of view as it comes under the economic section. This topic is also important from the perspective of other government exams. Keep reading the article to learn more about the Prasad Scheme!

What is the Prasad Scheme?

PRASAD stands for Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive. By 2021, the government hopes to have developed 120 pilgrimage sites across India in four stages. The Swadesh Darshan Scheme, run by the Indian Ministry of Tourism and Culture, provides support for this initiative.

• The Prasad initiative was first proposed by the government in 2014–2015 with a four-year budget of Rs 100 crore (Phase 1).
• On August 1, 2014, the proposal was brought before the cabinet for approval and was approved on August 20, 2014. 
• The Government of India’s Ministry of Tourism has launched this new scheme to develop pilgrimage sites and increase religious tourism. 
• Launched in June 2014, it was made available for use in the next financial year.
• The scheme’s goal is to develop and promote the religious destination in order to bring about long-term, sustainable economic benefits. 
• The focus areas have been identified based on the specifications set up by the governments of each state and union territory.
• After months of discussion, the government presented its plan in June 2014 outlining how it would construct thousands of religious sites in just two years. 
• Of the 33,000 sacred sites in India, one-third are now the focus of this scheme.

Also Read: List of Most Famous Temples of Himachal Pradesh

Prasad Scheme Cities

Through the planning, prioritizing, and environmentally friendly growth of pilgrimage sites, it aims to create an entire religious tourism experience. 12 cities were originally chosen by the plan as pilgrimage and heritage destinations. These cities were chosen based on the importance of their cultural history and rich heritage. The cities under this scheme are mentioned below:

• Kamakhya (Assam)
• Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh)
• Dwaraka (Gujarat) 
• Gaya (Bihar)
• Amritsar (Punjab)
• Ajmer (Rajasthan)
• Puri (Odisha)
• Kedarnath (Uttarakhand)
• Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu)
• Velankanni (Tamil Nadu)
• Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh)
• Mathura (Uttar Pradesh)

Objectives of the Prasad Scheme

The Prasad scheme was launched with some objectives by the Ministry of Tourism. The objectives are as mentioned below:

• The scheme aims to improve infrastructure facilities, including end-line connections, basic tourist destinations, environmentally friendly modes, rainforests, telecom facilities, internet connections, and access points for road, rail, and water transportation.
• The scheme’s main objective is to raise awareness of religious tourism by creating and identifying travel destinations across India.
• To maximize the benefits of pilgrimage tourism for the creation and expansion of jobs and economic growth.
• To promote regional cuisine, handicrafts, art, etc.
• To build world-class infrastructure at the pilgrimage sites.
• To create pilgrimage sites that hold to the concepts of pro-poor tourism and community-based development.

Strategy for the Prasad Scheme

To continue with the scheme in a well-planned way, a few strategies were identified so that the scheme sees success. The strategies for the Prasad scheme were:

• Recognizing and locating sites or landmarks that have the potential to be used as a place of pilgrimage, worship, or spirituality.
• Getting input from local stakeholders and landowners about how the land will be used or closing a purchase agreement.
• Guaranteeing an eco-friendly methodology. 
• Achieving what is expected within a specific time frame by collaborating closely and respectfully with the relevant state, federal, and private organizations.
• Arranging for appropriate public funding when required from sources such as corporate and public sector funds.

Also Read: 13 Most Visited Temples of Jammu and Kashmir

Budgeting

The Ministry of Tourism has given a separate budget for the Prasad scheme so that it goes as planned. The budgeting for the Prasad scheme is as follows:

• An announcement was made in 2017–2018 regarding the creation of five unique tourist destinations. The Ministry of Tourism includes Rs. 1,840.77 crore, while the budget is allocated Rs. 250 crore.
• Under the Swadesh Darshan scheme, Rs. 959.91 million has been set aside for the development of complete tourism.
• The Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) has been allocated a sum of Rs. 100 crores.
• The amount allocated for exposure and promotion is Rs. 412 million.

Benefits of the Prasad Scheme

This scheme launched by the Ministry of Tourism holds a lot of benefits when talking about the pilgrimage sites in India. The benefits include:

Protecting pilgrimage locations: Several places of pilgrimage are in danger because of different state authorities. The scheme aims to plan and develop pilgrimage sites while generating economic growth for the concerned state government.

Rise in the number of tourists visiting these locations: Every year, more than 20 million pilgrims travel to the sacred city of Varanasi. Similar to Varanasi, the government intends to develop 22 pilgrimage sites throughout India, including Ajmer, Amritsar, Haridwar, Mathura, Shirdi, Puri, and Pushkar.

Growth in tourism traffic: Through this program, individuals can visit pilgrimage sites and travel to different locations, providing them with a holistic experience.

Jobs Creation: The scheme will bring job opportunities to communities related to pilgrimage sites. Since a large number of hotels, restaurants, and retail establishments require labor for maintenance, this program helps the unemployed in India.

Development of the transport system: This plan will help build the public transport network, which includes roads, trains, and waterways and is important for getting people to their destinations.

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