The Agra Development Authority (ADA) and the UP Tourism department have drawn up ambitious programmes to facelift the city and upgrade civic amenities.

 In the past fortnight, the Divisional Commissioner Radha S Chauhan has had a series of meetings with officials of different departments to coordinate developmental projects.

 ADA vice chairman Tanvir Ali said work on a dozen beautification projects was already underway. Two welcome gates in Mughal tradition will come up on Delhi-Agra highway and outside the Agra Cantt Railway station. The electrical wiring in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal will go underground. Rs.15 crore project using high-tech machines has been sanctioned. Road crossings on the main MG Road will soon have Mughal style police posts. Already half a dozen have been constructed. Street lights are being done up and the main roads being re-carpeted.

 Officials say Agra will be top on the priority list of visitors who come for the Commonwealth Games. Avinash Mishra, deputy director UP Tourism is upbeat. Mishra feels the games will definitely be a big boost to tourism in this segment. Facilities are being upgraded and several projects worth Rs 50 crores would be executed soon in and around Agra. Tanvir Ali said the tourists must feel they were visiting a heritage city. "We are going to install attractive street lights on Delhi Road, Jaipur road and Gwalior Road."

 The ADA is going to put up welcome gates with detailed information on the historical buildings.

 District authorities have already sent proposals for an inner ring road, new flyovers, bypasses, new water and sewage lines, tree plantation, etc., to the state government. Most of these projects have to be completed by September end, say officials.

Meanwhile, authorities in Agra indicated that work on the Yamuna Expressway connecting Greater Noida with Agra, had been speeded up. "Land acquisition process was almost complete and work on the project was going full steam to meet the October deadline," an official said.

Agra commissioner Radha S Chauhan at a meeting of the district officials said traffic movement within the city should be smooth and without hiccups, particularly for those wanting to see the Taj Mahal. The ADA has accordingly begun working on an alternative route to the Taj Mahal to avoid the main MG Road and Yamuna Kinara road.

The railways too have drawn up a project to upgrade the Agra Cantt railway station to international class. Divisional Railway Manager Devesh Mishra said the facilities were being broadbased and streamlined. "Security appratus has been geared up at the station."

While government bodies are gearing up for the big event in October, the local tourism and hotel industry has still to wake up and draw up plans to meet the tourist rush.

Most hoteliers feel the city would hardly benefit as a majority of tourists would return the same day to Delhi. "The crude reality is that the Delhi lobby of travel agents, hoteliers and others does not want Agra to develop. It is for this reason that we still do not have a proper civil airport and no direct flights. Agra with three heritage monuments is not yet a destination. It continues to remain an excursion point from Delhi," says former president of the Agra Hotels and Restaurants Association, Surendra Sharma.