The Centre has announced a Rs 50-crore special package for development of tourism in Gondia and Bhandara districts of eastern Maharashtra. The announcement was made yesterday by Union Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay, who was on a tour of Bhandara and Gondia on an invitation of Praful Patel, his Cabinet colleague.

Patel, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, is Lok Sabha MP from Bhandara-Gondia. Patel had arranged a meeting of Sahay with top administrative officials of both the districts here. At the meeting, Patel raised the issue of tourism backlog of Gondia and Bhandara. He said full tourism potential of the two districts have not been released yet, though they boast of a number of tourist places.

Patel said two new wildlife sanctuaries have been sanctioned in the region. Speaking on the occasion, Sahay announced a special package of Rs 50 crore and asked the officials to send a tourism development plan to his Ministry at the earliest.