Tourism Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah distributed ₹2 cr grant sanction letters to 34 tea gardens as part of “Promotion and Development of Tea Tourism Infrastructure in Assam” scheme in a ceremony held at Janata Bhawan recently. This scheme is part of the State Government’s objective to make the State a tea heritage destination while continuing the impetus to infrastructure development for tourism in tea gardens.
Considering the enormous potentiality of tea tourism in Assam, the State Government had proposed to develop 50 selected tea gardens as tourism destinations in a Mission Mode approach. It broadly includes the overall experience of tourists in the midst of a tea garden of the State with accommodation facilities in an iconic bungalow with modern amenities. The scope of the scheme includes trekking in the natural beauty of a lush tea garden, undertaking a tea-testing session, visiting a modern tea factory and even trying one’s hand at plucking tea leaves, etc.
In the first phase, ₹2 cr each was provided to 22 tea gardens while Phase II covers 34 tea gardens. The tea gardens were selected to avail the scheme based on their heritage and uniqueness.
The assistance or sharing pattern under the scheme is 50:50 (Government’s share: Beneficiary share). The scheme has been implemented by Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) and monitored by the State Level Committee (SLC).
Distributing the grant sanction letter, the Tourism Minister said that the State’s tea sector, which has a 200-year glorious history, has the potential to attract tourists from all over the world. “Even after 200-years of the tea industry, tea tourism remained unexplored in the State due to various obstacles. Our tea estates have the potential to attract tourists from all across the world, hence this scheme,” he said.
The Minister also highlighted the potential of golf courses and heritage bungalows in tea estates. He appealed to the managements of the sanctioned tea estates to preserve their uniqueness while renovating the existing structures.
“Tea gardens, which have availed the scheme in Phase I have started working on it already. From November, we will go in a big way to tap river tourism potential,” the Minister informed the gathering consisting of officials from the Government, and tea industries.
