WBFDC to set up more nature resorts

With West Bengal witnessing a boom in the tourism industry in the past five years, West Bengal Forest Development Corporation (WBFDC) is all set to set up more nature resorts in both northern and southern parts of the state.

Steps have also been taken up to increase accommodation capacity in the existing resorts.

Udayan Guha, Chairman of WBFDC, said: “The initiative to accommodate more people was taken after we noticed that all rooms in each and every nature resorts were booked for the next 90 days and many had to return empty handed after failing get a room in the nature resorts. It had been happening round the year apart from a few days in summer.”

As per the existing capacity of the nature resorts only 260 people can be accommodated at a time in 91 nature resorts of WBFDC at 18 different eco-tourism spots across the state.

Stating that the capacity is nothing compared to that of the demand, Guha said: “We have identified the spots where the project will be taken up and decided to increase the capacity as many as possible instead of capping it to a certain limit. In some places we have got clearance to add a floor to the existing ones whereas in other places new nature resorts will come up.”

The work to increase the capacity has already started at the eco-tourism spots including Jaldhaka Valley in Dooars, Malangi in Hasimara and Lolegaon. The work would start soon in other spots including Jhargram, Mukutmanipur and Garchumbak. A floor will be added above the existing structure of Buxa Jungle Lodge in Rajabhatkhawa. The work of identifying the plots where new buildings will come up close to the existing ones is also almost complete.

The revenue generated from the resorts is a major share of the net income of WBFDC, which is one of the profit making development corporations of the state government.

It had been successful in increasing its profit in every fiscal since 2011. The income of the corporation has gone up by Rs 2.5 crore in 2014-15 fiscal compared to that of the previous financial year.

Moreover, the eateries in the resorts, where only boarders used to have an access, will be transformed to multi-cuisine restaurants where people who are not the borders of the WBFDC’s resorts can also have food. Local food will also be made available in the restaurants so that visitors from abroad and other states can also enjoy the taste of the local cuisine. The one in Buxa Jungle Lodge in Rajabhatkhawa will be opened before the Puja and those in Lolegaon, Malangi and Mukutmanipur will also be inaugurated soon.

The resorts of the WBFDC can be booked online with 90 days in advance and one can check the availability of rooms by visiting the website www.wbfdc.com. Besides online booking, the corporation is also encouraging spot booking.

“People often think that they will not get accommodation in the resorts apart from booking online. But I would like to urge them to visit the nature resorts at least once when they go to the spot to check whether there is any vacant room. They can get spot booking instead of going online if it is available,” Guha said.