Assam Tourism Bill: In the newest update, the tourism department in Assam state has come up with a plan to start something called ‘tourist police.’ This is to make sure that people who visit Assam are safe and secure.
The authorities made this decision due to a substantial surge in visitor numbers to Assam after the Covid pandemic last year. The state assembly recently passed a new law called the Assam Tourism (Development and Registration) Bill, 2024. This law includes the ‘tourist police’ idea. It talks about setting up different units, police stations for tourists, and all the things needed to make sure visitors are safe and well taken care of.
Assam Tourism Bill : Tourist Police Plan
A high-ranking person from the tourism department mentioned that the ‘tourist police’ plan is now included in the new Assam Tourism Bill. This means there’s now a complete plan in place for managing tourism in the state.
According to reports, all places where people stay when they visit will have to sign up with the tourism department. The person in charge also said that this safety plan for tourists is just starting, but it will happen soon. They will check different tourist spots to make sure everything is safe and protected for visitors.
Many states, such as Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, and Uttar Pradesh, have already started having tourist police. The person in charge mentioned that Assam should do the same and join most states in making sure tourists are safe.
In 2022, all across the country, a plan called ‘tourist police’ started. The Ministry of Tourism told every state and Union territory to create special police units just for tourists. They worked together with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) to make a plan. This plan included rules for how things should be done, training for the police, and suggestions for what the tourist police officers should wear.