Twin gains in tourism scheme

The vehicles at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati on Saturday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Guwahati, mar 1 : As many as 315 vehicles will hit Assam’s roads to give tourists a smooth ride as part of the state government’s self-employment generation scheme for educated unemployed youths in the tourism sector.

The scheme, which was launched by chief minister Tarun Gogoi at the Sarusajai Stadium here today, will be funded under the Assam Bikash Yojana. 

Altogether 256 beneficiaries from 24 districts were given their allotment letters today. 

“The remaining allotments will be made in the second phase,” a senior tourism department official said.

“A graduate or those having a diploma in tourism and travel management and not above 40 years of age are considered for the project. Over 50 per cent of the beneficiaries are from the rural belt and there are 41 women beneficiaries,” he added.

He said the government “would subsidise the cost of the vehicles by 40 per cent or upto a three lakh.”

The government has decided on a uniform colour code for the vehicles — white, deep blue and deep green — to ensure that they are used for any other purpose. The colour will depend on the make of the vehicles and will cost the state exchequer Rs 10.5 crore.

The government will also provide proper training to the beneficiaries so that tourists have a “comfortable and reasonable” ride in Assam.

The official said the chief minister had promised to roll out the scheme on May 26, 2008, on the completion of the ruling coalition’s two years in office. 

The project aims at socio-economic development of the state by developing the tourism sector.

Tourism minister Rockybul Hussain said the state was bullish on the potential of the sector.

Gogoi hailed the initiative and hoped that if the tourism potential was exploited it would do a world of good while tourism minister Rockybul Hussain said the state was bullish on the potential of the sector as the situation was improving on all front despite the militancy.

According to the official, the beneficiaries included 17 SC candidates, 22 ST candidates and 41 women candidate. Kamrup Metro-Kamrup sector led the beneficiaries number with 55, followed by Jorhat-Sivasagar sector with 35 and the Nagaon-Golaghat sector with 40.