Alipurduar dist admin takes steps to boost tourism with new development plans
Alipurduar: The Alipurduar district administration has taken several steps to promote tourism. During a meeting on Friday, attended by all stakeholders related to tourism, the Forest department and the district Tourism department at the conference hall of the ‘Dooars Kanya’, the administrative building in Alipurduar, several decisions were made. The district administration aims to establish Alipurduar as a prominent tourism destination.
In a two-and-a-half-hour meeting, various stakeholders suggested improvements for tourism facilities. Forest department officials assured their support and some issues raised by tourism stakeholders can be addressed at the BDO level. Following the meeting, District Magistrate R Vimala instructed all BDOs in Alipurduar to ensure basic facilities like toilets, rest areas and drinking water by submitting proposals to departments such as Minority Development and Tribal Welfare.
R Vimala stated: “In this meeting, we discussed all issues related to tourism and identified several gaps that need to be addressed, such as electricity supply and road infrastructure. We are committed to resolving these issues. We also received some excellent proposals from stakeholders for developing certain villages, which will help Alipurduar establish itself as a unique destination in the Dooars. We have identified villages like Toto Para, Chilapata and Bonochhaya Basti for development and additional infrastructure will be built there. We will hold another meeting with the state Electricity Supply department and the Public Works department to ensure the comfort of tourists visiting Alipurduar.” Samrat Sanyal, General Secretary of the Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network, emphasised: “We need to establish Alipurduar as a leading brand in the tourism sector. For this, it is crucial that the administration, Forest department and tourism stakeholders work together. Given that 80 per cent of the district is covered by forests and tea gardens, forest tourism plays a vital role in our tourism industry. Both the administration and stakeholders must take responsibility for promoting Alipurduar within the state tourism industry.”
