In a major step towards promoting trekking, mountaineering and eco-tourism in Uttarakhand, the state government is set to introduce an integrated tourism policy. On Monday, Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan directed officials to finalise the draft of the policy and submit it to the government by January 15.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the High-Powered Committee on Eco-Tourism at the Secretariat. The Chief Secretary instructed officials to hold consultations with private stakeholders to avoid practical challenges during implementation. He also emphasised the need to open new mountain peaks for trekking after completing all formalities, including environmental audits. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for this will be issued soon.
Highlighting the vast potential of eco-tourism in the state, Bardhan directed officials to identify and develop new eco-tourism destinations that can create a sustainable tourism ecosystem. He called for the Jabarkhet model of eco-tourism to be replicated at other locations.
The Chief Secretary instructed that an action plan for 10 identified eco-tourism sites must be prepared and submitted within a month. To ensure timely implementation, District Forest Officers (DFOs) will be given specific targets to promote eco-tourism in their respective areas.
To improve tourism management in forest areas, Bardhan proposed assigning responsibility to the Eco-Tourism Development Board. He directed officials to strengthen the board by increasing manpower, allocating budget provisions, and creating a separate budget head for the board to receive grants. An MoU will soon be signed for the operation of eco-tourism sites through the board.
The Chief Secretary also instructed officials to expedite the renovation of Chaurasi Kuti in the Rajaji Tiger Reserve and fix strict timelines for the implementing agency.
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He further ordered that meetings of the high-powered eco-tourism committee be held every month, formal tourism training programmes be launched across the state, and certificates be issued upon completion. The responsibility of training certification will rest with the Tourism Department in consultation with the Higher Education Department.
Senior officials, including Secretary Dipendra Kumar Chaudhary, PCCF Ranjan Kumar Mishra, CCF Eco-Tourism PK Patro, and Additional Secretary Himanshu Khurana, were present at the meeting.