GUJARAT ON SHOOTING SPREE

The Gujarat government today said it is working on a policy to encourage film shootings in the state which will also provide a boost to tourism. Under the policy, the film industry will be offered incentives for shooting movies in Gujarat. This will bring revenues and also help in developing tourism in the state, Chief Minister Narendra Modi said. "The Government is working on a special policy for the film industry to give them incentives to shoot their projects in the state and provide them technological support which will help in bringing revenues apart from developing tourism." Modi was speaking after inaugurating the third edition of Gujarat Travel Mart exhibition, where local, national and international tour operators have set up their stalls. "We can develop tourism in sectors like agriculture, education, adventure and sports and take the state's tourism sector to an all-together new level." Highlighting the state's success in the key segment, the Chief Minister said, "Gujarat received 22 million tourists last year and registered a 16 per cent growth rate, double the national growth rate of 8 per cent, in tourism sector." "A decade back, Gujarat was nowhere on the tourism map of India. However, in 2006, the government decided to give impetus to the sector and declared 2006 as year of tourism. "In 2005-06, our budget for tourism sector was Rs 30 crore, while at present it stood at Rs 500 crore," he added. Citing the success story of 'Rannotsav' (festival of the Rann) in Kutch, he said the district recorded negative economic growth some years ago and locals used to go as far as Assam to earn their livelihood. "The Rann of Kutch, once upon a time reflective of the bad times of Kutch, is today its success story," Modi said. The Chief Minister added that Gujarat can contribute to spiritual tourism also and listed destinations frequented by Parsis, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains. "Gujarat is a state where rare species of birds are found and the government is in the process of developing ecological sites," he added.