Centre to back West Bengal govt bid to emerge as "crown jewel of East" in tourism: Shekhawat

Kolkata, Oct 1 (UNI) West Bengal is exploring seaplane services at Digha and the Sundarbans, a tiger safari at Jharkhali and a major expansion of river tourism, with the Centre promising full support to position the state as the "crown jewel of the East" in tourism, union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said today. The state is also pursuing tourism projects worth Rs 12,634 crore, including hotels and resorts under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, development of thermal springs at Bakreshwar and restoration of heritage properties, Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh said. Assuring the state of central assistance, Shekhawat said West…