"Bihar has a huge and inadequately exploited potential for pilgrimage tourism. To attract tourists, both foreign and domestic, we have sent a proposal to the Centre for introduction of an air taxi service and we expect a positive response soon," BSTDC Ma naging Director, Mr Anand Kishor, said.

The proposed service, targeting upmarket tourists, would link Bodh Gaya, Rajgir and Vaishali in Bihar and Sarnath, Varanasi and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

"We want to offer upmarket and quality service to our customers so that they can have a hassle-free visit to shrines on the Buddhist circuit as there are many people, particularly foreign tourists, who want to avoid a road journey given their poor condit ion in both Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh," Mr Kishor said.

"We would like the UP government to be a partner in this enterprise but in case they are unwilling we can have deals with private parties," Mr Kishor said.