Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan have agreed to boost tourism through mutual cooperation.
A five-member Poverty Reduction Committee of Bhutan’s National Assembly, led by its chairman Dupthop, who visited the state recently, discussed the matter with Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, official sources said on Wednesday. Pointing out that Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh had several similarities culturally and geographically, Tuki said the cooperation would eventually generate gainful employment and reduce poverty. Tuki said that construction of a road from Tawang to Bhutan was progressing at a rapid pace and sought the Bhutan government’s cooperation to speed up work in its territory.
“Once this road is completed and connects towns of Bhutan with Tawang, we could work on border trade, which would be beneficial for both the sides economically,” Tuki observed.
The chief minister also wanted helicopter services to be introduced between Tawang and Bhutan, which, he believed, would increase the tourist arrival substantially. Dupthop agreed to a proposal by Tuki that a tourist circuit be developed encompassing Bhutan and parts of Arunachal Pradesh religiously linked to each other.
He, however, said that this depended on the government of Bhutan for implementation.
Guv wants Arunachal on tea map: As part of the Arunachal Pradesh government’s endeavour to bring socio-economic development in rural areas and to generate more employment avenues for the youth, Governor Gen J J Singh has called for bringing the state on the tea map of India.
Presiding over a meeting of tea growers at Raj Bhavan here, the governor called for popularising tea cultivation in the state, official sources informed today. Citing the huge demand of organic tea in international market, Gen Singh said that tea cultivation can generate large employment avenues. (PTI)
