Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has sought assistance from the Central government for the development of heli-tourism and introduction of seaplane services at Narkelkunja in Dumbur lake in Gomati district.
The Chief Minister raised the proposal on Wednesday (June 4) during the second meeting of the High-Level Task Force (HLTF) constituted by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) for the promotion of tourism in the northeastern region.
CM Saha urged the DoNER Ministry to provide necessary financial assistance to make the tourist destination more attractive with new facilities.
The meeting was chaired by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Tripura chief minister along with other members of the task force participated in the virtual meeting held on Wednesday.
Dumbur Lake is a charming water body located 115 km south of Agartala. The beautiful lake is on the confluence of rivers Raima and Sarma. Boating facilities are available in Dumboor Lake. In one of the islands, ‘Narkel Kunja’ has been developed and is one of the best tourist destinations in Tripura.
CM Saha emphasised the need for a strategic roadmap to attract national and international investments by identifying high-potential areas and projects in the Northeastern states.
He also underscored the importance of evaluating current investment practices, reviewing tourism policies, investment incentive schemes, and regulatory frameworks to create a more conducive environment for growth.
Highlighting the progress made since the first HLTF meeting, the Chief Minister shared several state initiatives.
He noted that new home stay guidelines have been introduced to promote the tourism industry, with 48 home stays currently operational across different parts of the state and also emphasised that these home stays play a significant role in boosting tourism.
Saha also mentioned that a delegation led by the Regional Executive Director of the northeastern region and the Director of Agartala’s MBB Airport had recently visited Kailashahar Airport, now unused, as part of the initiative to restart regional air connectivity.
“There are 29 registered tour operators under the Tripura Tourism Development Corporation,” he added.
Arunachal Pradesh Tourism Minister Pasang Dorji Sona, Sikkim Tourism Minister Tshering T. Bhutia, and other stakeholders from across the region virtually participated in the meeting.
ALSO READ: DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia takes stock of flood situation in Northeast, assures Central aid
Earlier, Tripura Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury had chaired a high-level meeting with a private airline company to explore the launch of seaplane services.
“Seaplane tourism is a fascinating and innovative concept that can open new avenues for tourism across the vast aquatic stretches of our state,” he said.
