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Uttarakhand to revive tourism in flood-affected areas

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Shishir Prashant Dehradun
Last Updated : Feb 24 2014 | 10:27 PM IST
The Uttarakhand government has decided to bring a series of new schemes for the flood affected areas with an aim to revive their tourism-driven economy with a special focus on providing economic security to all those women who lost their breadwinners in the devastated floods.

"Most of these schemes are the brainchild of Chief Minister Harish Rawat, who wants to revive the shattered economy of the floods affected areas", a top government official said.

The government would shortly launch a tourism scheme where it will provide 33 per cent of the capital subsidy with a maximum of Rs 15 lakh to all those people who want to start new ventures especially in tourism sector. A decision to this effect has already been taken by the state cabinet.

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The scheme will remain effective for the next five years in the five disaster affected districts of Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Uttarkashi and Bageshwar. A committee will be set up under the chairmanship of the district magistrates to select the candidates under the scheme.

A special chief minister livelihood scheme for women has been planned. In the first phase, 1500 women will be identified and will be provided the economic security. Under the scheme, the government will provide special trainings in starting new ventures to these women who will be given a stipend of Rs 1000 also. An economic grant of Rs 50,000 will be also provided to all those women who want to become self-independents.

A separate village cluster tourism scheme will also be launched shortly where a group villages will be provided a grant upto Rs 2 crore for strengthening infrastructure facilities. In a similar scheme where an individual wants to build an innovate tourism scheme in the village he or she can get a loan facility. For the first two years, such loan will be totally interest free and in the next two-four years, only four per cent of the interest will be charged.

"In all such schemes, the budgetary provision will be made from the state government's funds," said A K Dwivedi, Joint Director Tourism department.

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First Published: Feb 24 2014 | 8:51 PM IST

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