Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 8 Jan: In accordance with the directions of the Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, and under the guidance of the Tourism Minister, Satpal Maharaj, a review meeting of the Task Force for promotion of rural tourism in the state was held on Thursday. The meeting was chaired by Secretary Tourism / Chief Executive Officer, Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB), Dheeraj Singh Garbyal.
During the meeting, instructions were issued to constitute a District Task Force Committee in each district under the chairmanship of the District Magistrate. The committee will include departments such as Rural Development, AYUSH, Horticulture, Agriculture, Aroma Plant Centre, Panchayati Raj Training, and Employment, among others. The committee was directed to soon identify at least two rural tourism villages in each district and prepare infrastructure development proposals to be submitted to the Tourism Department.
The Secretary Tourism discussed linking Mat (Kasar Devi) in Almora, Madkot (Pithoragarh), Pyora (Nainital), and Lakhamandal (Dehradun) with Wellness Tourism; Leeti (Bageshwar) with Community-Based, Adventure, and Agri-Based Tourism; and Ghes (Chamoli), Jakhol (Uttarkashi), Saud (Tehri), and Sari (Rudraprayag) with Adventure Tourism. It was decided that the selected villages would be developed as Model Tourism Villages through convergence of all departments. Emphasis will be laid on developing homestays in large numbers and promoting wellness, herbal, agri, heritage, community-based, and adventure tourism in accordance with the natural characteristics of the villages. In this regard, the department also presented a detailed presentation outlining the framework for Model Tourism Villages.
During the meeting, the Rural Business Incubator (RBI) was also directed to provide necessary support to homestay operators across the state.
The meeting was attended by Jharna Kamthan, Additional Secretary (Rural Development); BL Rana, Additional Chief Executive Officer, UTDB; Ms. Poonam Chand, Additional Director (Tourism); representatives of the Rural Business Incubator (RBI); and, through online mode, Chief Development Officers, District Tourism Development Officers, and Agriculture Department officials from various districts.
On this occasion, Secretary Tourism Garbyal emphasized that all decisions taken in the meeting are inspired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vibrant Villages Vision and the resolve of Chief Minister Dhami to develop border and rural areas of Uttarakhand.
