Tourism in Hills to open in phased manner

Darjeeling: The tourism department will open up all the tourist spots under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in a phased manner following the unlock directives of the Government of Bengal from July 1. An emergent meeting of the stakeholders of the tourism department at the GTA Secretariat in Darjeeling on Tuesday decided on this. "The tourism department will take all the initiatives to revive the tourism industry in the hills and hotels will open following the standard SOP of the government," resolved the meeting. The hotels will open up from July 1. The Municipalities and Fire Emergency Services will take up the sanitation work of all hotels.

This will be carried out on need basis and the cost of this will be borne by the owners. GTA will start tourist help desks in all entry points to the GTA area including Simulbari, Chitrey and a suitable place in the Municipal areas with the help of district administration, police and Hotel Owners Association. A tourist helpline is operational, manned by the police. This helpline will be used by the GTA, Hotel Owners and the district administration. "The meeting also resolved that there will be no employee lay off by hotels. Cases of hotel employees who have not received pending wages including that of the lockdown period will be taken up by Labour department. Hotel owners will continue paying interim relief to the employees (percentage of wages) as decided in the meeting of June 10 till further directive of the Apex court," added Vikram Rai, Convenor.

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