Imphal, March 04: Despite the frenzy preparation being made by the Tourism Department of the State Government to attract tourists through organising Manipur Tourism Festival every year and the keenness supposedly shown towards conducting package tour, the tour operators have been given cold shoulder treatment denying permission by the Department on conducting the package tour.

During the course of further investigation conducted by The Sangai Express on why development of tourism in Manipur occupies a back-seat inspite of being blessed with bounteousness of the Mother Nature, it came to light that the although the Tourism Office at New Delhi had initiated package tour to attract tourists to visit Manipur, the Tourism Department has denied the private tour operators from conducting package tour.

As being practised in other States of the country, the Tourism Minister in 2006 entrusted the Tourism Department to take up necessary action for conducting package tour by the Tourism office of the State at New Delhi in association with other private tour operators.

Consequently, the Faridabad based M/s Kapur Tours and Travels applied to the Tourism Department for conducting the proposed package tour.

However, the Department has not yet processed the application of the tour operator submitted through the office at New Delhi.

However, when contacted in this regard, Secretary of Tourism Department BB Sharma asserted that there is no question of denial of permission by the Government.

There should be no restriction on conducting the package tour.

In fact such tours should be promoted, he said.

Over the last many years, there have been no cases of rape, molestation, abduction of foreign tourists coming to Manipur, the officer added.

When countered why the Department denied permission to the interested tour operators from conducting the package tour, the officer simply assured that he would hold a detailed discussion on the matter.

Disclosing that the Department has formulated a policy for development of tourism in the State, BB Sharma pointed out that plans are afoot at the all India level to recruit ex-servicemen by the Directorate General of Resettlement which is under the Ministry of Defence for providing protection to foreign tourists coming to the country.

Responding to a question, BB Sharma informed that the Department is planning to organise the Manipur Tourism Festival at Imphal from March 12-16 every year.

According to information, last year, 1 lakh domestic tourists and around 400-500 foreign tourists visited Manipur.

It may be recalled here that out of more than 60 projects taken up by the State Tourism Department for development of tourism infrastructures in Manipur, 35 of them have been closed while 13 others have stopped midway.

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