Raipur, 21 June 2021. Local people are not only getting employment through tourism in Bastar, but they are also joining the campaign to save the environment. The youth of Bastar, who are associated with similar works, today told Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel that they are proud to introduce tourists to their food, customs and art-traditions.
The Chief Minister interacted with these youths during the inauguration of development works and Bhoomi Pujan program in Bastar, Sukma and Bijapur districts. Khirmani Kashyap, who is working in Tirakha Bastar Tourism Group, told that her group is working to promote tourism in Bastar. The members of the group serve local and traditional food and drinks like chapra chutney, basta, boda, madiya and page to the tourists while camping. Tourists love these traditional foods very much. He told the Chief Minister that we feel proud by promoting tribal culture. His group also provides camping, bonfire and trekking facilities to the tourists. During the trekking, tourists are given information about small animals and plants. He said that tourists like it very much when they talk about coming to Bastar again. Khirmani said that during the camping, tourists are provided with the facility of home-stay apart from the rest house, during which the tourists are accommodated at home. Local cuisine is served to them. When asked by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Khirmani said that tourists are also involved in local dances and festivals. They get an income of up to 700 rupees per person.
Prabhakar, Chairman, Tourism Development Group, Tirathgarh, said that there are 50 members in his group who get employment by providing parking and trekking facilities to tourists in a safe environment. His committee was formed in the month of November. Till March, more than 1 lakh 10 thousand tourists came to Tirathgarh, due to which the committee earned 18 lakh rupees. During the trekking by the group members, the tourists are advised to avoid going to dangerous places as well as clean-tourism advice. They take tourists to the picturesque waterfalls located near the national parks. He informed that the group has also been given training in bottle art by the district administration. In this, the discarded bottles used by the tourists are used in the manufacture of artistic works. During trekking, seed-balls made from the seeds of fruits are being used in plantations, so that in future the fruits will be easily available to wild animals and local residents in the forest as well. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel congratulated and congratulated the youth for the work being done for tourism development and also wished them a bright future.
