U’KHNAD GOVT TO TRAIN YOUTH IN FOOT MASSAGE: MINISTER

HALDWANI: With an aim to provide self-employment, the tourism department is planning to train youth in trekking areas in foot massage on the lines such facility in Singapore and Thailand.

Tourism minister Satpal Maharaj said: “There is a big industry of foot massage in Singapore and Thailand’s Bangkok. People earn lots of money by this business,” he said. “So we have planned to encourage foot massage in tourism activities of the state, especially in trekking areas. Youth in these areas will be trained so that they can provide foot massage to tourists along trekking routes,” he said.

Maharaj said people of hills can earn with this business. “Apart from this, youth can start their own small ventures after getting trained. Youth will also be taught to prepare delicious dishes according to the taste of the tourists.”

Maharaj said a blueprint of these schemes has been prepared and the plans will be implemented soon.

“I had proposed to the government to provide relief to the tourism sector hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The government has approved ₹ 28.9 crores for the financial year 2021-22 for the affected people in the tourism sector,” he said.

Following the decline in Covid-19 cases, the state government is planning to revive the tourism sector in the state. In this regard, it has plans to promote the trekking and workcation concept and link them to the local communities living near such treks and remote areas.

In this regard, on the directions of tourism secretary Dilip Jawalkar, a team from Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board will conduct an on-site inspection of the Trekking Traction Model Community Centre at Agroda village situated in Uttarkashi.

The selected applicants under the trekking traction scheme will be given a subsidy of ₹60,000 for the construction of new rooms with attached toilets. So far, 73 villages have been notified in six districts under which 13 such models are notified.