CEPT had bagged the project for preparing the CDP of the Konark-Puri area that spans an area 377 kms in 2009. Post the submission, many of the proposals are now slated to be implemented by Orissa chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the development plan being readied for the area as per a report in Business Standard by Lakshmi Ajay.

If implemented, the village model would be the first of its kind to be adopted by any state government to streamline tourism in the area. "We have identified some villages in the Konark-Puri area that can adopt and implement the 'eco-village model '. This model will be democratic in nature as it will be highly community driven operated by people, with less intervention from the local authorities and increased community participation in tourism activities.

The comprehensive development project (CDP) has also earmarked areas for 'heritage precincts' that would be regulated and will help in keeping the heritage status of the region and keeping the cultural flavour of the region intact. If implemented it would increase the workforce participation from to 40 percent from the current rate of 35 to 36 per cent," said Shashwat Bandopadhyay, head of the Department in the Department of Environmental Planning, Faculty of Planning and Public Policy and project coordinator from CEPT.

Having several popular tourist destinations, Puri, Konark and Bhubaneshwar are known as the Golden triangle of eastern India and sees a high tourist activity. The state which has a booming religious tourism saw a tourist footfall of 50,56,964, with a large chunk of around 50 lakh made up by domestic tourists in 2009. These numbers surge considerably during festivities and during 'Rathyatra' at the famous Jagannath Puri temple at Puri.

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