Ranchi: If things move according to plan, Ranchi residents will soon have an eco-tourist site right next to their house.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the environment and wildlife animals have set a plan to develop a vast 540 biodiversity park in Lalkhatanga on the outskirts of the state capital to the location of the international standards ecotourism.
Last month, the Office of the Division Forest Officer Ranchi (DFO) floated in the expressions of interest (EOI) which invited consulting companies throughout the country to crash plans to develop the park.
According to the source of the department, a consulting company based in New Delhi has been selected through a technical bidding process.
Ranchi DFO Ashok Dubey said, “Because this vision is to develop a park to the ecotourism site of international standards, it needs technical expertise.
A company has been selected and the proposal to appoint it has been sent to the government.” Forest officials said planning to develop parks to the ecotourism site began after Minister of Chief Hemant Soren visited the facility earlier this year.
“After touring the park, CM instructed department officials to consider developing parks and surrounding areas to ecotourism locations complete with adventure and tourism sports,” said a senior department official.
The park, which is over a decade, is home to several original plant varieties and drugs.
Especially managed by the department for educational purposes, this park is a popular vacation destination for locals and tourists.
“If it becomes an ecotourism center, the park will be a popular attraction for tourists both from Jharkhand and other parts of the country.
It will also contribute to the local economy and provide livelihoods to those who live around them,” Dubey said.