Bhubaneswar: There are immense possibilities of tourism in Sambalpur district of Odisha. For this, the state government has taken several steps. The state tourism department is now going to take another step in this regard. Usually, tourists coming from outside the state or from nearby areas stay in hotels in Sambalpur city when they come to Sambalpur.
In such a situation, tourists are not able to become fully aware of the tourist places here, local art, culture, food and customs. Therefore, now the state tourism department is going to start a ‘home stay’ policy with the aim of giving information about all this to the tourists.
People can make 2 to 6 rooms
Under this, if a person makes arrangements to host tourists in his house in the villages around the tourist place, then the tourism department will give him financial incentives up to 30 percent. This means that if a person builds a few hotel-style rooms attached to his house for tourists to stay, the tourism department will pay 30 per cent of the construction cost of that room. Under this scheme, a person can build 2 to 6 rooms. For this, he has to contact the tourism department.
In this regard, Sambalpur District Tourism Officer Ravindra Kumar Dalai said that now the tourism department has a new chapter ‘Home Stay Policy’. It has been successfully implemented in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and other states of our country. According to this policy, the tourists who come stay in the houses of the people of the local area, visit tourist places and eat local regional food or homemade food in people’s homes. They also like it.
New home stay policy prepared
Dalai said that keeping this in mind, the tourism department of the state government has prepared a new home stay policy. In its first phase, some tourist places have been selected. These include Guduguda waterfall in Kuchinda sub-district of Sambalpur district and the historical site ‘Bheem Sangham’ in Ghushurmal panchayat of Naktideul block of Rairakhol sub-district.
He said, “We have selected some panchayats which are committed to these tourist places. Salewadi in Guduguda and Ghushurmal, Naktideul and Shimilipal panchayats of Bhim Sangham have been selected in the first phase. This policy has just been issued. After its approval, specially interested people of this area can keep tourists by building 2 to 6 rooms in hotel style near their homes.”
Tourism department will bear 30 percent of the expenses
According to this policy, those who will build that room, interior designing or other decoration and the tourism department will bear 30 percent of their expenses. Therefore, whatever fee will be charged from the tourists, the responsibility will be of the house owners. An initial meeting has been held with the District Collector and BDO regarding this policy. The BDO has been asked to determine their cost and give the names of interested persons to the government.”
Local people will get employment
Premshila Pradhan, Sarpanch of Ghusuramal Panchayat of Rairakhol sub-division of Nakatideul block, welcomed the move and said that this is a very good step. She further said that this will make the tourists feel more secure. Apart from this, the people of the house where they stay will be able to give them a good tour of the tourist places like a guide and the tourists will be able to enjoy local domestic and regional cuisine and will be able to know about the art, culture, food and accommodation of the local area. This will increase the arrival of tourists and local people will get employment.
