U’khand gives industry status to yoga, rafting, camping | Times of India

DEHRADUN: The state cabinet has approved industry status for many tourism related activities like yoga, bungee jumping, joy riding, surfing, camping and rafting etc. The cabinet which met at a floating marina boat on Tehri lake for the first time amended its Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) policy to award industry status to these ventures.

Cabinet minister and official spokesperson of the state government, Madan Kaushik, said, “The government has amended the MSME policy to give many tourism related activities the status of an industry.”

Kaushik said that rejuvenation resorts, ayurveda, yoga, panchkarma, bungee jumping, joy riding, surfing, camping, rafting etc will come under MSME policy and all facilities permissible under the policy will be provided to the entrepreneurs.

The government will also bring ayush and wellness sector under its Mega Industry Investment Policy.

To create employment in the micro sector, the government has brought 11 new activities under the ambit of the Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Tourism Self-Employment Scheme. Under the scheme, assistance will be given for purchase of equipment for activities like kayaking, terrain biking, caravan, angling, star gazing and bird watching.

The cabinet also gave its nod to developing 13 new tourism destinations in 13 districts.

In other decisions, eunuchs have been included in the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Social Security Scheme and can get loan of up to Rs 1 lakh at just 1% interest from the fund which is managed at the district level.

CM Rawat said that the reason behind organising the cabinet meeting at Tehri lake was to bring Tehri lake on the tourism map.