Gujarat to fund NRG senior citizen tourists' expense

In an attempt to further promote tourism in the state and to encourage Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRGs) to visit their home land, the state government has decided to fund the tourism expenses of such NRG senior citizens.

The state is likely to shoulder an expense of Rs 10,000 per such tourist up to a maximum of 150 such senior tourists.

Pradeepsinh Jadeja, Minister of State for NRGs said that under the Gujarat Darshan Yojana the government wants to encourage senior citizens who are originally from Gujarat but are now settled in different states of India to visit the state to enjoy its cultural, historical and religious tourist spots.

"The state will fund an expense of Rs10,000 for such tourists and in all 150 such tourists will be entertained per year," said Jadeja in a release.

The state is looking at group travel for NRGs with yearly 25 groups of six such tourists in each group being entertained. The government has in the present financial year allotted Rs15 lakh as part of the scheme. The senior citizen tourists need to be in the age group of 60 to 70 years.

The senior citizen NRG tourists from other states can spend up to 6 days and seven nights in the state under the scheme. The places that will be covered under the scheme include Somantha, Junagadh, Modhera, Adalj Ni Vav, Lakshmi Vilas Palace among others.