Chief minister Nitish Kumar visited Ghora Katora Lake at Rajgir in Nalanda district to inspect how the place, where a 70-feet high statue of Gautam Buddha was installed, was being developed as an eco-tourism spot.

When he reached there, finishing touches were being given to the statue.

The statue depicts Lord Buddha in Dharma Chakra mudra or posture and will take another 15-20 days to be ready. A senior administration official said the date is yet to be fixed but the place is likely to be inaugurated “in a month or two”.

Nitish not only took stock of the development around the lake, including construction of toilets and drinking water facilities for visitors, but also climbed a watch tower for a 360-degree survey of the area, including the lake that is surrounded by scenic hills.

“Arrangements should be made for tourists to be able to circumnavigate the statue. However, no pillar-based bridge should be built to reach the statue from the lake shore because it might obstruct water coming out from the lake bed,” Nitish told officials during his inspection. He also directed officials to construct a pathway on both sides of the lake.

Bihar Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary, rural works minister Shailesh Kumar, Lok Sabha MP Kaushlendra Kumar, MLA Ravi Jyoti, chief minister’s adviser Anjani Kumar Singh, tourism department principal secretary Ravi Manubhai Parmar, deputy inspector general Rajesh Kumar, Nalanda SP Sudhir Kumar Porika and several others were present on the occasion. “I gave suggestions on a garden that is proposed to be developed at Ghora Katora. The visitors will like it and it will contain toilets and places to sit or rest in,” Anjani said.

Nalanda district magistrate Thiyagarajan S.M., who was present during the chief minister’s visit to Ghora Katora, told The Telegraph that the park will be developed by the forest department, and full-fledged boating facilities would be made available for domestic and international tourists. “We have also decided to double the number of battery-operated vehicles for visitors from four to eight. Tongas (single horse drawn carriages) would also ply for people coming to Ghorakatora as the emphasis is on eco-tourism,” Thiyagarajan said.

Vehicles running on fossil fuel are already banned around Ghora Katora, which has emerged as a popular picnic spot among people who visit Rajgir.

The Buddha’s statue at Ghora Katora is being developed by the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) at a cost of around Rs 50 crore. Several thousand saplings have been planted in the area to make it greener.