29 stunning villages in Uttarakhand to promote trekking

In a bid to promote trekking clusters and tourism, the Uttarakhand tourism department has selected 29 remote villages in the hills. According to the Tourism Ministry, the main motive behind the decision is to promote the tourism department’s Trekking Traction Center Homestay Scheme. With this scheme, the state hopes to boost adventure tourism and also offer jobs to locals living in remote rural hilly regions of Uttarakhand.

As per a Ministry statement, “Through this aid, the state government is trying to empower the local people, so that the rural economy can be strengthened. This plan will prove to be effective in preventing migration and making rural areas self-sufficient through tourism.” The Tourism Minister also said that the homestays here are being developed in local traditional architectural style, which will definitely help boost the state’s tourism. Some of the selected villages are in Uttarkashi, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh districts.
Under the scheme, villages with trekking potentials will be developed by the tourism department as trekking clusters. The villages will also have lodging facilities for travellers and trekkers. Financial assistance of INR 60000 per room is being offered to locals to build new rooms for home-stay purpose. An additional sum of INR 25000 is also being handed to villagers for constructing new toilets.

People will be selected through a committee headed by District Magistrate and an evaluation will be conducted later to grant money. The amount will be transferred directly to the beneficiary's bank account.