RANCHI, Sept. 4 -- In a first of its kind initiatives in the state, the Hemant Soren government is mulling to put in place a special Authority with a limited mandate to provide civic amenities at major tourist destinations, which do not fall under the jurisdictional limits of an urban local body (ULB), people aware of the development said on Wednesday. The body, named as Jharkhand Tourism Area Authority, would be put in place at the 'Grade-A destinations' earmarked by the tourism department, which has decided to amend the required statutes for the purpose. The list includes popular tourist destinations like Netarhat, Patratu, Rajrappa and Madhuban, officials said. People aware of the development said one of the major agendas approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday included the Jharkhand Tourism Development & Registration Act (amendment) Bill, 2025, which provides for putting in place this dedicated authority. "The Bill will be tabled in Assembly whenever the next session is convened. The Bill provides for putting in place a dedicated Jharkhand Tourism Area Authority at Grade-A tourist destinations which are not under an ULB. Due to lack of a civic body, it becomes difficult to cater to civic facilities," tourism minister Sudivya Kumar said. "Since these locations are under rural blocks, the mandate to take care of these things is with BDO/CO. But due to the distance from the blocks, these are not done effectively. For example, Netarhat is one of the most popular destinations where footfall is very high. Several hotels have come up, causing littering. And the BD/CO are located far away in Mahuadanr. Once put in place, these authorities would take care of the required services," he added....