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Assam Government comes up with new provisions for Amar Alohi scheme in 2022-2023

Priyanka Chakrabarty


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The Amar Alohi scheme of the Government of Assam is coming up with new provisions and obligations in the 2022-2023 fiscal.

Running with 63 homestays at present, the tourism department has now come up with a plan to register the homestays for the beneficiaries. According to the department, there is no data as to how many tourists had come to stay as tourists, no data on Goods and Services tax incurred, no regulation of fees and no information on how much revenue is generated.

An Assistant Engineer of Assam Paryatan Unnayan Bhawan Amulya Shastri stated that now they are planning to make provision for two rooms in one homestay to be registered. The Assam Paryatan Unnayan Bhawan is the implementing agency of the scheme.

He informed me that for registration no fees will be charged.

The scheme was started in 2017-2018 and its second phase started in 2018-2019. This phase is still running.

In 2017, the selected tourist areas were in Kaziranga, Majuli, Pobitora, Manas, Dibru-Saikhowa and Nameri. But in the year 2018-2019 Nameri was removed.

For availing this scheme one must apply when Bhawan gives an advertisement. The Bhawan assists in making the homestays. The current working homestays received 80 percent of the fund from the government of Assam to make their homestays. The rest 20 percent are to be paid by the applicant himself.

Shastri added that there are two types of homestays that are in operation. In the current fiscal, the total amount to be received is Rs. 10, 30,000 for the Chang Ghar and Rs. 8, 19,000 for the Assan Type homes.

However, he stated that they do not try to inspect whether the fund has been utilised or not?

They will soon systematise the uploading of data of homestays in their portal.

The ‘Aamaar Aalohi’- Rural Homestay Scheme is framed by the Tourism Department, Govt. of Assam, with the objectives of giving a new dimension and thrust to the Rural Homestay Facilities in the State of Assam and creation of self-employment opportunities for educated youths in rural and semi-urban areas of tourism potential and importance. Under this Scheme, Assam Tourism Development Corporation invites two types of applications: (1) New Homestays (subsidised projects) (2) Existing Homestays.

The eligibility to apply is that the applicant must be unemployed and must have owned a land of his or her own. As per as qualification is concerned the applicant must be at least Higher Secondary pass. There is no upper age limit for application.

The provision is not available for urban areas and only those areas are selected which have a tourism potential.

The selected beneficiaries were given two days of training for managing a homestay at the Institute of Hotel Management in 2018. A total of 29 participants attended the training program in the first batch.

One of the beneficiaries Bishnujyoti Mudoi of Majuli spoke to Business Northeast telling his success story. He was one of the applicants of the 2017-18 season. Opening his Sugandhalok homestay, Chang Ghar, in 2019 he has earned a decent livelihood through Amar Alohi scheme. He received a sum of Rs 8,24,000 from the Government of Assam. The additional Rs. 2,00,000 was paid by himself.

In his homestay a customer can avail a king size bed, double bed, sanitation facility and geyser facility. The tariff of the homestay per day is Rs. 2500. However, if a customer plans to travel around Majuli then he can surely do that by paying Rs. 2000 per day additionally.

He added that due to covid pandemic the inflow of tourists was reduced but earlier people used to come from Assam and outside North-eastern states as well.

Another beneficiary Nirantor Gohain of Dibru- Saikhowa stated that in the first year in 2019 the profit was as high as Rs.10,0000. He received Rs. 80,0000 from the government and rest of the Rs. 40,0000 was spent by him to construct his homestay called Dibru- Saikhowa Homestay. “People come here to visit Dibru Saikhowa national park,” he said. The charges for travelling and staying are different. For each visit, he charges Rs. 2000 per person. He has a cook whom he pays Rs. 10,000 per month. They offer breakfast and dinner for the visitors but lunch is chargeable.

But after that for two years the market was down. Till now he has catered 40 trips of various customers from across India.

However, he is disappointed that no relief was paid to them during the pandemic. Only the tourist guide and tour operators were paid Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 20,0000 respectively. They were informed by the district co-ordinator that they will be provided relief but nothing of that sort was provided. So, he is disappointed.

When Amulya Shastri was contacted about this problem he said that yes they have provided relief for the travel agents and tourist guides but there is no such scheme for the Amar Alohi beneficiaries.

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Priyanka Chakrabarty