Tourist lodges in Kaziranga shift to private hands, locals express concerns

Kaziranga, Jan 26: All is not well in Kaziranga as most of the government tourist lodges will be leased out to private entrepreneurs as per the decision of the State government. This will destroy the very foundation of the Assam Tourism department and reduce it to a mere rubber stamp.

According to highly-placed sources in the tourism circuit in Kaziranga, most of the tourist lodges, maintained by the Assam Tourism department in Kaziranga till now, are being leased out to private organisations causing concern among the people of Kaziranga about the locus standi of the Assam Tourism department in Kaziranga, which is the focal point of attraction for visitors coming from different corners of the globe.

Bonani Tourist Lodge in Kohora is the first tourist lodge in the State, where many eminent personalities including the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, President Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy and many other stayed. A part of the Bonani Tourist Lodge needs to be conserved as a heritage building.

Sources who did not wish to be named confirmed that once the government hotels and tourist lodges are taken over by private entrepreneurs in Kaziranga (Kohora), then the officers and staff of Assam Tourism department will have no say over any matter related to tourism. This will send a negative message as most of the general and budget tourists coming to Kaziranga prefer to contact or meet the tourism officials of Assam Tourism for fulfilling their requirements with regard to tour programmes during their stay at Kohora. Secondly, tourists feel secured once they are directed or advised by tourism staff and officials over any kind of jungle safari or preferences of hotels and guest houses at Kaziranga.

But now the Assam Tourism department officers and staff will not be able to take any action or measure in the greater interest of the visitors coming to Kaziranga, which will again send a negative message to common and budget tourists.

Sources added that some facilities at Kaziranga like those at Kunjabon and Bonashree, which have been renovated into suite rooms for high-end tourists, will create problems for the student community as those guest houses earlier had dormitory facilities and helped the student groups of colleges and universities to stay overnight in Kaziranga at affordable prices.

But now, students especially who are not sound financially will be deprived of visiting Kaziranga during their educational tours.

It is worth mentioning that students of various colleges and educational institutions visit Kaziranga for completing their academic projects and meet forest staff and officers to fulfil their project criteria.

There is a need to have proper dormitory and standard room facilities at an affordable rate for students and general tourists in Kaziranga, which should be controlled by Assam Tourism department, sources pointed out.

As far as the staff quarters are concerned, the government needs to look into the problems being faced by staff of Assam Tourism in Kaziranga and initiate remedial measures for renovating those quarters at Kohora.

- By Debasish Baruah