Six nations issued travel restrictions to Assam over law and order situation: Minister
Guwahati, Mar 25 (PTI): Six countries, including the USA, UK, Australia and Switzerland, have issued travel restrictions for their citizens against visiting Assam and the rest of the Northeast over the law and order situation in the region, Assam Tourism Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass informed the assembly on Tuesday.
Dass was replying to a query from Congress MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed.
The countries that have issued the restrictions are the United States of America, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada and Switzerland.
The restrictions are for Assam as well as other northeastern states citing the law and order situation, he said.
Dass said the Tourism Department, on behalf of the state government, is in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs to persuade these countries to lift these restrictions.
"A high-level team from Australia had recently visited Assam to look into this aspect," the minister added.
He further said the number of tourists visiting the state in the 2022-23 fiscal was 98,31,141, which had dropped to 70,67,335 in 2023-24 and was at 67,88,565 in 2024-25 (till January).
On the promotion of tea tourism, Dass said the 'Promotion and Development of Tea Tourism Infrastructure in Assam' scheme was taken up by the state government in 2022-23.
Under the scheme, selected tea gardens will receive Rs 2 crore grant for the development of tourism potential and heritage bungalows.
A total of 22 tea gardens were selected in the first phase and another 34 in the second phase under the scheme, the minister added.
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UP CM Adityanath's plane makes emergency landing in Agra due to technical snag
Agra/Lucknow, Mar 26 (PTI): An aircraft carrying Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made an emergency landing at the Agra airport shortly after take off due to a technical snag, officials said.
The chief minister resumed his journey to Lucknow after over two hours, they said.
Adityanath was in Agra for a public event to mark the eighth anniversary of the BJP government in the state.
"After the programme, the chief minister was scheduled to leave from the Kheria Airport in Agra around 3.30 pm. The aircraft took off but returned shortly apparently due to a snag, which was then inspected by officials," a police official told PTI.
"The chief minister finally resumed his onward journey around 5.30 pm from Kheria," the official added.
Senior Agra district administration and police officials remained at the airport while the chief minister waited there. BJP supporters and local politicians were also present outside the airport.
Earlier in the day, Adityanath inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 128 projects worth Rs 635.22 crore at 'Vikas Utsav' held in Agra to mark the completion of eight years of his government.
"Residents of Agra now have access to metro rail services, officially making Agra a metro city. The construction of the civil terminal at the airport is in its final stages," he said, adding that previous governments failed to provide these facilities.
