Centre giving all help to Uttarakhand to boost tourism: Mahesh Sharma

DEHRADUN: Centre was extending all help to the Uttarakhand government to boost the tourism sector which can help generate employment opportunities for the local youth and stop migration from the hills, Union Minister of State for Tourism Mahesh Sharma today said.

"We are giving all cooperation to the state government for implementation of tourism-related projects.The Centre has already released Rs 80 crore for tourism projects in the state and another Rs 60 core will also be released soon.

"Development of the tourism sector will generate employment opportunities for local youth and put brakes on migration from the hills in search of livelihood," he said addressing Tehri Lake Adventure Tourism Festival and Investors' Meet in Tehri.

The Union Minister also inaugurated the Rajiv Gandhi Adventure Sports Academy and a restaurant named Floating Marina in the Tehri lake.

Addressing investors, Chief Minister Harish Rawat extended an invitation to them to invest in the tourism sector in Uttarakhand promising them all help from the state government.

"The tourism sector in Uttarakhand has tremendous potential. We are working methodically to boost tourism activities in the state in accordance with an action plan. I invite investors to invest in the sector and assure them of all possible help," Rawat said.

"We have dreamt of a developed Uttarakhand with Tehri being at the centre of our scheme of things. There are areas where water sports, adventure tourism and mountaineering activities can be taken up on a much larger scale.We are working in these areas in accordance with an action plan and investors are welcome," he said.

Rawat thanked Sharma for his cooperation in implementation of tourism projects in Uttarakhand, saying if things go on like this the hill state will soon evolve an identity of its own on the world tourism map.