Guwahati: The Assam government has decided to provide one-time financial assistance to people involved in Jeep Safari as well as tourist guides to mark the completion of one year of Himanta Biswa Sarma's dispensation.
This is an attempt to mitigate the economic hardship of the people engaged in jeep safaris at the Kaziranga National Park.
The Assam Chief Minister stayed true to his words and a relief package of Rs 25,000, as compensation for their losses, had been provided to more than 400 gypsy drivers and guides who had been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The stringent lockdown and other restrictions due to Covid had a detrimental impact on the tourism industry in Kaziranga for two years. It is worth noting that a lot of people in Kaziranga are directly or indirectly dependent on tourism for their livelihoods.
Hundreds of drivers and tourist guides involved in jeep safaris had to incur huge blows and they suffered tremendous losses during the lockdown period. It is because tourism was their only source of income.
Meanwhile, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar had been invited by the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) to visit the park. The 'Thank You' gesture came after the actor donated Rs 1 crore for the animal welfare of the park.
The actor donated the amount back in 2019 under the chief minister's relief fund. He observed the catastrophic situation of wild animals during the Assam floods and said that he was absolutely heartbroken to know about the devastating impact of the floods in Assam.
"All affected, humans or animals, deserve support in these hours of crisis. I'd like to donate 1 Cr each to the CM relief fund & for Kaziranga Park rescue," Akshay's tweet read.
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