Uttarakhand government announces financial assistance for tourism sector

Due to the lockdown done to prevent infection of Covid-19 pandemic in the state, there has been closure of all business and tourism activities, the State Government has decided to provide financial assistance of about Rs. 75.00 crore to overcome this economic crisis.

Based on the suggestions received from various organizations related to these activities, after deliberations at various levels in the state government, the cabinet decided to provide as much personal and institutional support as possible.

Approximately 2,43,000 personnel are directly employed in the total 1,09,818 units of tourism and other units registered in the tourism department and other departments for individual beneficiaries. All these will be  individually disbursed Rs. 1,000 / – per personnel through direct benefit transfer (DBT). This amount will be approximately Rs.25.00 crore.

Under the Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Tourism Swarojgar Yojana and Deen Dayal Home Stay Scheme, the interest on the loan taken from April to June (first quarter) will be reimbursed by the state government, the expenditure of which will be about Rs.25.00 lakh.

A lump sum assistance of about Rs.35.00 lakh will be provided by the Tourism Department to the rafting guides etc. by committees created for special areas / activities. A lump sum of Rs 1,000 / – will not be admissible to the beneficiaries of this category, ie a person can avail the same category.

It has been decided by the state government to provide departmental-wise benefits / assistance to the tourism industry in the following ways: –

• It was decided by the Excise Department to reduce the license fee of Hotel and Restaurant for the year 2020-21 proportionally for the period of lockdown (03 months). This amount will be approximately Rs 2.50 crore.
• The tourism / industrial units to which the consent to operate  was given by the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board till 31.03.2020. It has been decided to extend the consent of all such units to operate in Orange and Green category for the next one year, ie, till 31.03.2021 at no additional charge, on which an expenditure of about Rs.15.00 crore will be incurred.
• The Transport Department has considered providing exemption for tourist and other passenger vehicles permit renewal fee and motor tax for 02 months for the year 2020-21, which will incur an expenditure of about Rs 23.00 crore.
• It has also been decided to postpone the renewal / registration fee of all tourism units registered under the Tourism Development Council for the year 2020-21. An expenditure of about Rs 60.00 lakh will be incurred on this.
• It is known that in the last cabinet meeting, it has been decided by the Energy Department to give exemption on fixed charge for 03 months on the electricity bills of hotels, restaurants and dhabas, on which an expenditure of about Rs 6.00 crore will be incurred.
• A relief of about Rs. 2.00 crore was also announced on the bill coming on drinking water. Along with this, instructions were given to submit separate proposals to the Department of Drinking Water and Housing for the purpose of giving other institutional benefits to the tourism industry.