INDIA: Permits For Tourist Buses Registered In Arunachal Pradesh But Not Operating In The State To be Cancelled

The Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to cancel the registration and national permits of all tourist buses registered in Arunachal Pradesh but not operating in the state.

The decision is likely to affect private travel agencies operating vehicles in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana that acquire national permits from Arunachal and Nagaland.

According to official sources, the state transport commissioner has informed all the district tourism officers (DTOs) to cancel the registration of tourist buses and sleeper coaches in the state that operate their vehicles in other states, including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, in violation of the Central Motor Vehicle (CMV) Act, 1986 and Central Motor Vehicle Act, 1989.

In a second letter, the commissioner also ordered the cancellation of national permits to such vehicles.

The registrations of the vehicles have been done without physical inspection as mandated under the CMV Act, 1988 besides violation of the norm that requires verification of the address as required under the CMV Act, 1988 and CMV Act 1989, and prescribed dimensions of the motor vehicles under the CMTV Rules, 1989, the letters said.

The DTOs have been instructed to direct the vehicle owners to report their vehicles to the nearest police stations.

Tourism has taken a major hit in the scenic town of Darjeeling in West Bengal, with the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) spearheading a shut down on Monday over a demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.

Hundreds of tourists are still stranded in the town and nearby areas, unable to move out to other locations because of a lack of transport. Some people, however, managed to reach Kolkata on Sunday and expressed their relief at being able to get out of a tense Darjeeling.

Reacting to the crisis, a tourist said,We are facing a lot of problems right now. People know, since the offices are closed, anything can happen on the streets. For flight departures scheduled at 3 p m, people are leaving at 6 a m in the morning.?

He said tourism is the main revenue stream of Darjeeling, and therefore, political parties like the GJM must not hold protests when the season is at its peak.

I would have to think before coming to Darjeeling again,? he added.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday blamed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the ongoing unrest over demands for the creation of a separate 'Gorkhaland' state, adding that her 'meaningless politics' has fueled the situation.

Nothing happened for seven years. Now with Mamata Banerjee forcing the Bengali language on the people, the situation has turned bad. She should end her interference and apologise to the people of West Bengal, BJP leader Rahul Sinha he said.

Supporting his stance, West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh alleged that the government was not interested in solving issues being dealt with in the region, adding that the violence witnessed is a result of forced interference by Mamata Banerjee.

The two most significant contributors to Darjeeling's economy are tourism and the tea industry. Darjeeling became an important tourist destination as early as 1860.

It is reported to be the only location in eastern India that witnesses a large influx of foreign tourists. It is also a popular filming destination for Bollywood and Bengali cinema.

Tourist inflows into Darjeeling have of late been affected by the political instability in the region. Presently, between 50,000 foreign and 500,000 domestic tourists visit Darjeeling annually if the situation is normal.

It is known as the 'Queen of the Hills' and in 2015 was the third most googled travel destination in India.

INDIA: Mango Fair Begins At Handloom Haat In Connaught Place

To provide a tasty and juicy treat to the connoisseurs of the national capital during the scorching summer, the West Bengal government on Thursday launched its "Mango Mela".

The fortnight-long mango fair, which is now in its fourth edition, is being held at the Handloom Haat in Connaught Place and will continue till June 30.

The festival here was inaugurated on Thursady R.D. Meena, advisor, Industries and Officer on Special Duty, West Bengal, a state government release said.

The exhibition, which will be on display at the AC Hall at the Second Floor of Handloom Haat, is bringing together delectable varieties from Malda, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas and Bankura districts such as Golapkhas, Gopalbhog, Brindaboni, Ranipasand, Mallika, Langra, Fazli, Himsagar and Laxmanbhog, it said.

Select handloom and handicrafts from Bengal will also be on sale at the venue during the period.

Cultural shows will also be organized at the courtyard of Handloom Haat in the evenings of June 18 and June 25 with Chhau and Raibenshe folk dances and traditional music bringing out the vibrant, rich and living cultural heritage of Bengal.

INDIA: Shah Rukh Khan to Promote Bengal as 'Sweetest' Tourist Destination

Shah Rukh Khan will promote Bengal as the "sweetest" tourist destination in the country.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will promote Bengal as the "sweetest" tourist destination in the country, as the state goes on an overdrive to attract domestic and foreign travellers.

"We have roped in superstar Shah Rukh Khan for promoting tourist destinations in West Bengal. He will soon come over to the city for a two-day shoot," state tourism minister Bratya Basu told newspersons here.

"New ad-films will be made featuring Shah Rukh for Hindi and English languages," Basu said, adding that a Rs. 8-crore budget has been earmarked for showcasing Bengal as an attractive tourist destination.

Road shows would be held in seven cities in the country to attract tourists to the state with the new catchline 'Experience Bengal - The Sweetest part of India', Basu said.

The minister said that with the Durga Puja coming up in the third week of October, the state tourism department has drawn up several package tours under which people can enjoy the festivities in the metropolis and in other parts of the state.

The packages during the festival would be from one of eight hours that would show popular pujas in different parts of the city, thronged by lakhs of visitors everyday, to that of a two-day schedule that would take tourists to different districts, where they can enjoy the festival in a serene and idyllic atmosphere.

INDIA: Mamata Banerjee Meets Bhutan King, Discusses Medical Tourism

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee -- who is on a four-day visit to Bhutan - today met King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and discussed various ways of mutual collaboration including medical tourism.

"The meeting with his majesty was very cordial and we discussed several issues including ways and means to forge collaboration in areas like irrigation, potato farming, agro industry and tourism," Ms Banerjee told media persons in Thimphu.

The two deliberated on medical tourism.

"People from Bhutan mostly go to Bangkok for treatment which is very costly. We had a discussion on medical tourism to Kolkata because there the cost of treatment is far cheaper," said Ms Banerjee.

The Chief Minister said the Bhutanese King assured setting up an expert committee to look into the issue of Bhutanese rivers causing floods in Bengal.

"The discussion also focussed on flood and disaster management. The King assured setting up an expert committee to look into the causes of Bhutan rivers causing flood in Alipurduar.

"The King assured (me) that the committee will look into whether the causes are natural or there are any technical problems," added Ms Banerjee.

On the second day of her visit, the Chief Minister visited the Tara Devi temple on the outskirts of Thimphu.

Accompanied by state ministers and government officials, Ms Banerjee on Monday held discussions with Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and also participated in a business conclave attended by industry captains from the Himalayan kingdom and West Bengal.