With the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill 2019, being passed by the Parliament, the Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism,Prahlad Singh Patel handed over an urn containing soil from the massacre site to the Prime Minister, which will now be kept in the National Museum. Marking 100 years since the tragic incident, the minister said that the government intends to build a memorial to honour the sacrifice of the martyrs and for the newer generations to know about their honor and valor. He further suggested that the passage of the bill in the parliament has made the incident &ldquofree of politics&rdquo&rsquo for the first time.
Briefing the media about the current achievements of the government, he stated that all iconic sites in the country will now mandatorily have a separate room specifically dedicated to nursing mothers, in order to provide better amenities to women tourists. These facilities were recently inaugurated in Taj Mahal and the government plans to provide them in 17 other iconic sites.
The ministry also intends to install sign boards in foreign languages in order to facilitate international tourists. These boards will first be set up in Sanchi Stupa, Madhya Pradesh, which is thonged by Buddhist pilgrims from all over the globe.
As stated by the Minister, with the recent government policies like reduction in GST rates on hotels and reduction in E-Visa fee, India has witnessed an increase in the footfall of tourists. It also recently moved up six places on the world travel and tourism index from 40th to 34th position. Hoping that these policies will continue to draw more tourists, Patel said that the government aims to enter the top 10 in the future.
