NE largest beneficiary of Central aid for tourism promotion

New Delhi, Mar 14 (UNI) The North-East region has emerged the largest beneficiary of Central aid for promotion of its tourism projects with a 75 per cent increase reported till the end of February 2006 as against fiscal 2004-05, an ASSOCHAM analysis revealed today.

The study, conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM), also revealed that a 65 per cent increase was seen in the number of projects sanctioned to the region for the same period.

''The study indicates the preference of the Central Government to encourage tourism activities in the trouble-torn North-East region of the country,'' ASSOCHAM said.

The Department of Tourism and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in the fiscal 2004-05 collectively sanctioned 32 projects for the North-Eastern region with a total of Rs 7,275.58 lakh to promote various tourist destinations and tourist spots.

''Their number, however, went up to 53 by February 2006, with the sanctioning amount rising to Rs 12,753.36 lakh, reporting an increase of 75 per cent,'' ASSOCHAM President Anil K Agarwal said.

The study is based on the latest Government figure that it received from the department of Tourism in the form of state-wise tourism projects sanctioned for various states during the year 2004-05 and 2005-06 (up to February, 2006), he added.

In the case of Assam, the number of projects sanctioned for tourism promotion in 2004-05 stood at six with the allocation of Rs 956.03 lakh. By February 2006, the Department of Tourism enhanced the number of projects to eight, for which it sanctioned Rs 2,125.00 lakh.

For Arunachal Pradesh, six projects were sanctioned in 2004-05 with a sanctioned amount of Rs 1,285.70 lakh and their number was hiked to 10 with the amount up to Rs 2,240.16 lakh by February 2006.

For Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura, while the number of projects sanctioned respectively stood at 4, 6, 5 and 1 with the amount of Rs 377.88 lakh, Rs 1,401.40 lakh, Rs 520.33 lakh and Rs 16 lakh respectively in 2004-05.

However, the corresponding figures for the fiscal 2005-06 (upto February 2006) work out to be 9, 9, 14 and 3, with allocation of Rs 2,268.41 lakh, Rs 2,528.97 lakh, Rs 2,844.56 lakh and Rs 716.26 lakh.

The Central government also sanctioned six projects to Jammu&Kashmir in 2004-05 worth Rs 878.45 lakh in totality. By February 2006, the Department of Tourism sanctioned 22 projects worth Rs 6,656.01 lakh, thus showing an increase of more than three times in the number of projects, and over six times in terms of resource allocation.

Uttaranchal seems to have been a third preference of the Central Government for sanctioning tourist related projects as it doubled the number of projects and also reasonably hiked the resource allocation for the development of tourist spots.

In 2004-05, the projects sanctioned for the state numbered six and the allocation committed worked out to be Rs 2,184.98 lakh, which went up to Rs 2,723 lakh with number of projects going upto 12 by February 2006.

Uttar Pradesh has also been the beneficiary of Central Government allocations for tourist developed destinations, as it secured nine projects with allocation amount of Rs 1,044.93 lakh in 2004-05.

However, the same went up to 15 number upto February 2006 with resource allocation of Rs 3,124.22 lakh.

With higher allocations of the amounts and hiking the number of projects for tourism purpose not only in North-East, but also in Jammu&Kashmir and Uttranchal, the Central Government has realised the potential of economic activities that can spur the growth of tourism in these parts of the country, the Chamber feels.

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