Guwahati, Feb 16 (HS): In a move to give a fillip to the State’s tourism, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today handed over sanction letters to 34 beneficiaries under the scheme ‘Amar Alohi’. He at the same time distributed electronic gadgets to the beneficiaries under ‘Parjyatan Sarothi’ scheme at a programme held at an area adjacent to Deepor Beel today. Sonowal also inaugurated a service of the country boats in Deepor Beel.
It may be noted that ‘Amar Alohi’ village homestay scheme was launched to infuse self-sufficiency among the educated unemployed youths of the state. The main objective of the scheme is to facilitate accommodation and food to the tourists in the rural areas. Under this scheme stilt houses to be built in sync with natural milieu of the state with a financial outlay of Rs. 10 lakh of which 80 per cent will be borne by the State government as subsidy. Moreover, under ‘Parjyatan Sarothi’ scheme, around five thousand people engaged in tourism will be given electronic gadgets with an Aap ‘Awe Assam’ for facilitating on line booking etc.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sonowal said that considered as a hot bed of eco-tourism and bio-diversity, Assam has immense potential towards tourism. Therefore, in a bid to utilize the potential of this sector science and technology have to be used. He also said that to attract the attention of seven hundred crore people across the globe, the tourists’ sites of Assam will have to be developed maintaining the sanctity of their peripheries. He also said that State government under the scheme called ‘Uttaran’ Rs. 10 crore has been sanctioned and asked the Forests and Environment and Tourism department to unitedly build a roadmap for the promotion of tourism surrounding Deepor Beel.
Terming the people living at the peripheral areas of Deepor Beel as fortunate, Chief Minister Sonowal asked them to extend all possible help to the steps of the government for the promotion of tourism in Deepor Beel. He also said that State government has formed Deepor Beel Development Authority for the development of Deepor Beel. Chief Minister Sonowal on the occasion gave a snapshot of all the steps taken by the State government for the protection of environment and expanding the green coverage. He said that in the last 4.5 years State government planted 10 crore saplings and set up Sahitya Manishi Upobon as a result of which 222 sq km forest cover has been created according to the Forest Survey of India. At the same time rhino poaching has come down to almost zero and population of tigers in the state has also increased. Terming people as the kings of democracy, Chief Minister Sonowal requested them to extend all possible help to the government for it to make Assam one of the top five performing states of the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman ATDC Jayanta Malla Baruah gave a brief of all the projects taken by the State government for the development of tourism in Assam. He also said that the department would launch ‘Parjatan Sanjivani’ within a few days.
Commissioner and Secretary Tourism Mukesh Sahu gave the welcome address in the programme which was also attended among others by MP Queen Oja, MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita, Chairman Assam Financial Corporation Bijay Gupta, Chief Wild Life Warden M.K. Yadav and a host of other dignitaries.
