-State government to promote forests to woo visitors with lodges & safaris in parks, tiger reserves ANEETA SHARMA A restaurant nestles on the banks of a placid lake in Hazaribagh national park. The government wants to develop such places with private participation Ranchi, July 21: The state forests would be used to promote tourism in a major way. The tourism department is trying to get into public-private partnerships with well-known names in the field of eco-tourism and develop a project according to the demands of tourists. The department would take up 13 forest rest houses for renovation and identify motorable tracks and trekking trials to cater to the adventurous tourists. The government has started assessment of facilities and the status of guesthouses in Ranchi, Chaibasa, Gumla, Latehar and Lohardaga. Government officials have taken the example of Karnataka, where large number of forest guesthouses located at vantage points have been turned into "jungle lodges'. These lodges are located in picturesque spots and provide the best available boarding and lodging facilities to visitors. The state earns about Rs 18 to Rs 20 crore annually from this project. The Madhu Koda government is hoping to follow this example and pocket a sizeable chunk as revenue. Tourism and planning secretary Arun Kumar Singh said once the forest department transferred the guesthouses to them they would take steps to improve the conditions of these places. The focus of the project would be on eco-tourism to ensure that ecology and conservation are not disturbed while visitors get their money's worth. With about 35 per cent of the state under forest cover, the scope of developing the tourism project, including jungle safaris, is immense. If the security aspects in Betla tiger reserve and Hazaribagh National Park are taken care off, said officials, tourists would flock to these places. They are happy about the timing of the project as the forest department has closed the Betla park for breeding season with hopes of witnessing an increase in animal population and rich vegetation growth. Some officials claimed the closure has had a positive effect. Several consultants have made detailed project presentations before senior officials of the department, including the secretary (tourism). In the fray are Tourism Finance Corporation of India, IL&FS, DMG Consultants and SRIE. The final list of consultants is likely to be released within a week.