104 Eco Tourism Projects Languishing

Sunil Sharma

104 eco-tourism projects are finding it extremely difficult to come out of files in Himachal Pradesh. Earlier final decision regarding eco-tourism policy could not be taken for two years. And now when all formalities related to the policy have been completed, the lax attitude of bureaucracy is creating roadblocks for these eco-tourism projects. The state government in order to realise these projects on time has decentralised them. But despite that officials have not become active on field. The headquarter has not got any information from the field of completion of any of the eco-project on ground. All such projects has to be approved by conservators on division level. It means these projects will be finalised by the committees constituted under the leadership of forest conservators.

20% of royalty of 37 sites that will be transferred by forest department to forest corporation, will go to the state government’s account. Action on eco-tourism projects was initiated seven months ago with this particular amendment in eco-tourism policy. Earlier, the previous government had directed forest department to transfer 37 projects out of 97 selected projects to forest corporation. But now the decision has been taken that transfer of eco-tourism projects to forest corporation will take place on departmental mode.

The eco-tourism policy was amended for second time by Virbhadra cabinet about one year ago, as the previous policy was not investor friendly. According to amended policy, forest department will have to take all types of no objection certificates (NOC) from forest ministry. In fact even the provision of net present value (NPV) will also be done by committee constituted for eco-tourism. Final approval of the project will be done by infrastructure development board.

All the projects will be given for 10 years term and the work related to project will be done on public private partnership (PPP) mode. 20% share of the earnings generated from these projects will go to state government, 20% to eco-tourism society and 60% share will go to eco-tourism committee constituted at division level. However there could be a change in these standards after addition of forest corporation in it. Serious efforts will be put in to generate employment from eco-tourism. Tenders will be invited before allocation of project and eco-restoration charge will be taken from investors. Besides this approval of RFP document from infrastructure development board will be necessary. However even after such a big exercise, there is no action from bureaucracy.

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