Monday, February 21 2005 16:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: The Union Tourism Ministry would soon announce a special non-lapsable package for the north eastern States being pegged as 'the jewel in the crown' of the tourism map of the country, with better air linkages and relaxed inner line permits.

Union Minister of State for tourism Renuka Chowdhury told reporters after inaugurating the three-day roundtable of the seven BIMSTEC countries in Kolkata, the special package of a few crores of rupees for the north eastern States would be announced in the next budget.

"The special package is expected to substantially increase the domestic tourist traffic to the north east States richly endowed with diverse tourist attractions with each State possessing its own distinct feature," she said.

The package was being pursued as a special interest area of the Prime Minister and Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi, she said.

As part of the package, the Tourism Ministry was talking to the Union Civil Aviation Ministry for setting up of a mountain airlines network for improved connectivity to the region.

"The package would be implemented in three phases and would take shape by June 2006. The idea is to create independent identities or each of the seven States and promote their individual USPs," she said.