IFCI bid to make Arunachal a major tourist destination

ITANAGAR, May 8 ? Arunachal Pradesh may become one of the major tourist destinations in the country within a decade with some financial institutions showing their keen interest to invest to develop tourism sector. In this regard, the Industrial Finance corporation of India (IFCI) Limited has shown a keen interest in investing crores of money especially for tourism sector, apart, hydropower potential and others. ?IFCI is giving major thrust to make Arunachal Pradesh a major tourist destination of the country and ready to extend financial assistances to both the State government and private sectors?, AK Das, head of the northeastern region and deputy general manager of IFCI told newsmen here on Monday. ?Money will not be a problem for development of tourism sector?, he said, adding,? come with projects to us and get the financial assistance within a week's time?. He added, apart from tourism, IFCI is ready to provide financial assistance in forest and agro based industries, electronic and software, food processing, processing herbal products and even in power sector?. Sri Das, who was on a day?s visit to this Himalayan State said like Sikkim, Arunachal too has potential to develop tourism but required to develop surface communications, air links with all State capitals of the country. He said eco-tourism and aero-sports would be best suited for Arunachal besides other branches of tourism including beautiful landscape bestowed to it by the nature. The IFCI official who called on the State Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues on his maiden visit to Itanagar disclosed that the State government is contemplating to submit a tourism road map to IFCI, which is under process. The tourism road map would cover all aspects of tourism potentialities in the State besides opportunities for investment. He said the State government has appointed a consultant from Kolkata to prepare a master plan of tourism for the State besides preparation for State tourism policy. To a query, he replied that so far no proposal has been received by the IFCI from both the state government and the private entrepreneurs.