PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Nainital
While commenting on the Union budget presented in Parliament by the Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, the president of Nainital Hotels’ and Restaurants’ Association, Digvijay Singh Bisht said that although the announcement of trekking and hiking trails for Uttarakhand, Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir was a positive step it was doubtful whether Uttarakhand would get any fillip in its tourism sector. “We welcome the trekking and hiking trail announcement but we wonder whether the announcement will be implemented properly to the benefit of these three States, particularly Uttarakhand,” he said.
Sounding disappointed over the lack of the expected financial support for the State’s tourism, he said that despite the total size of the budget being Rs 12.2 lakh crore which is more than last year, it is not clear how much share Uttarakhand would get in it. “This is surprising because Assembly elections are due in 2027 and tourism is the main source of employment here,” he said.
A Nainital-based veteran businessman, Sanjay Nagpal described the Union Government’s focus on MSME sector as positive in terms of employment generation, but in the same breath expressed disappointment over the middle class not getting tax relief. “The Union government’s attention is limited only to Char Dham, whereas the British- era tourist places like Nainital and Mussoorie are being ignored. No fund has been allotted for promoting tourism here. Promotion of tourism boosts economy here, so it is disappointing for us,” he lamented.
Striking, however, a different note, the president of the Kumaun University Teachers’ Association, Prof Lalit Tiwari asserted that tourism and medical tourism in Uttarakhand would benefit from the budget in the long run. “The nine per cent increase in education, better use of artificial intelligence, the decision to establish a skill university and three new AIIMS in the budget are welcome. Rupees 2000 crore have been allocated for realising a self-reliant India goal and innovation has been promoted too. The budget is, on the whole, balanced and development-oriented and Uttarakhand will eventually derive multiple benefits from it,” he added.
A Youth Congress leader
and the general secretary of Mallital Vyapar Mandal, Tribhuvan Singh Fatryal dubbed the budget as utterly disappointing for Uttarakhand. “I would particularly mention that the much-awaited demand of Green Bonus which the State deserves remained completely ignored,” he rued.
