Smruti Mandir gets grade-C tourism status

Smruti Mandir situated at Reshimbagh in Nagpur has been given grade-C tourism status. Known for the memorial of RSS founder Dr KB Hedgewar, the 78-year-old Smruti Mandir will now be able to get funding from Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), central and state government on works in and around it.

The status was given following recommendations of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and the district planning committee.
BJP city vice-president Bhushan Dadwe obtained copy of the notification under RTI Act on May 5. Dadwe, in a press release, said that the oral statement of the state government before the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on January 31 in which it said that the Smruti Mandir has a tourism status was totally wrong.

“Now, the NMC can execute works of Rs 1.37 crore for construction of compound wall and road in and around Smruti Mandir. I demanded tourism status for the spot. I also submitted recommendations of ministers and legislators with the district planning committee,” said BJP city vice-president Bhushan Dadwe.

For giving the status, the MTDC has brought Smruti Mandir in the list of itinerary of ‘Nagpur Darshan’ citing that the large number of people visit the premises during Vijaydashmi celebrations and other occasions. The NMC had proposed to spend Rs 3 crore for works at Smruti Bhavan and Balasaheb Devras Path Triveni Smarak, Gandhibagh in its budget of 2017-18. In September last year, the NMC gave administrative approval of Rs 1,37,38,844 for two types of works.