Varanasi: Six months following the UP cabinet approved a proposal to establish a directorate of spiritual events (DRA) Launched in Varanasi beneath the spiritual affairs division, divisional commissioner Deepak Agrawal was appointed the first manager, kicking off the process of preparing infrastructure and recruitment team.
Speaking to TOI on Sunday, UP ministry of state (independent charge) for spiritual tourism and events, Neelkanth Tiwari, stated,”The commissioner of Varanasi branch was given additional charge as manager of DRA.
The process for choosing a website for DRA office at area of Kashi Vishwanath Dham (corridor) has started and construction would start after the website is finalized.” Director Deepak Agrawal said,”Aside from establishing workplace, recruiting employees for your workplace is now top priority” On December 11, 2020, the country cabinet chaired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath accepted the proposal to establish DRA to facilitate administrative function in promoting spiritual websites as tourism hubs.
According to the decision, the DRA headquarters will be created with the support of Kashi Vishwanath Particular Area Development Board (KVSADB) along with also the DRA’s sub-office will be put up in Kailash Mansarovar office construction in Ghaziabad.
The minister stated, since the sacred city had been the cultural capital, seat of education, work and birth area of mythical people, it had been chosen to house the very first DRA office.
He explained the floor for launching DRA had been ready in 2019.
Since beginning of their religious affairs department in 1985, not having a directorate made barriers in implementation of government strategies despite being accountable for upkeep and infrastructural development of spiritual, cultural, historic and architectural structures around religious websites.
Minister Neelkanth Tiwari also said the way the state authorities had worked to enhance facilities for devotees at crucial pilgrimage websites, such as Varanasi, Ayodhya, Mathura-Vrindavan, Chitrakoot and Vindhyachal.