19.5.16

Agra Theme Park in the making

Inching closer to setting up a mega theme park in Agra showcasing India's heritage and culture, Uttar Pradesh government has signed a joint venture with actor-film maker Sanjay Khan's Kingdom Entertainment Ltd. The 1,000-acre theme park Khan is to be built in four phases and expected to attract investment of Rs.10,000 crore, emerging on completion as “bigger than Disneyland“.
Speaking to the media after signing the consessionaire agreement, Sanjay Khan said the park will journey through ancient, medieval, and modern eras of history , and will be showcased as the `Seven Cities Theme Park'--from Mohenjo Daro to Patliputra, covering Maharabharata, Gupta and Mughal periods, and ending with the Indian freedom struggle.
Khan said, “It is the biggest such project planned in India. We will invest Rs.10,000 crore in phases and aim to complete the first phase in 3 years and the remaining in 10 years.“ UPSIDC managing director Manoj Kumar Singh said the project will be developed on a joint venture basis between UPSIDC and Kingdom Entertainment Ltd and will be an educational experience for people.
Singh said, “The theme park is envisaged as a project that will keep the tourists who come to see the Taj Mahal, back in Agra for an extra day, in order to visit this theme park. In addition to the tour of history , a separate `Swayamvar' area has also been proposed that may be booked for hosting weddings.“
Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said, “This is a unique project in India and it will create jobs for thousands of local youth as well as increase revenue for the state. Besides being an entertainment and tourism project it will also serve as a reference point for academics and historians.“
The park will have hotels, restaurants, convention centres, gaming zones and a mono rail for visitors. Officials said most of the land for the project has been acquired and work is slated to start within a few months.

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