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TOURISM IN N-E No bonanza on ground yet

Ever since the BJP came to power at the Centre, it has not tired of launching new development schemes for the…

TOURISM IN N-E No bonanza on ground yet

(PHOTO: Facebook)

Ever since the BJP came to power at the Centre, it has not tired of launching new development schemes for the North-east. The latest in the series, announced early this month, is called the North-east Tourism Development Council. Launched by the Union Ministry for Development of the North-east, it will be on a public-private partnership basis. Tourism is a much talkedabout subject, yet today except Assam and Meghalaya, and to some extent Arunachal Pradesh, it is a misnomer in other states. However, if reports of a spurt in the number of tourists ~ both foreign and domestic ~ over the past two years, are any indication, things seem to be looking up. Most hill states have no industry, so the objective is to promote tourism as part of economic development. The emphasis has been on development of infrastructure, and since individual states lacks funds there is the need for a clearcut integrated scheme involving all the eight states. Today, tourism in Nagaland and Manipur is confined to the Hornbill festival held at Kohima every year in the first week of December and the Sangai festival in Imphal in November. These yield only short-term benefits. In the North-east, tourism has to be developed keeping in mind the rich benefits expected from Indias Act East Policy. And all said and done the future depends entirely on how fast and cleverly the Centre solves the longstanding Naga problem and tackles the growing ethnic feuds in Manipur, issues that seem to be becoming more confused and intractable.

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