Lok Sabha Question No. 3815 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-16
Subject: Improvement in Connectivity for Tourist Destinations
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: Md. Rakibul Hussain

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3815 ANSWERED ON 16.03.2026

## IMPROVEMENT IN CONNECTIVITY FOR TOURIST DESTINATIONS

3815. MD. RAKIBUL HUSSAIN:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether the Government is aware that inadequate road, rail and air connectivity continues to hamper access to major tourist destinations in Assam;
- (b)   the  details  of  identified  connectivity  gaps  to  key  tourist  sites, including last-mile road connectivity and regional air links;
- (c)   the  details  of  the  proposals  approved  or  under  consideration  to address  these  gaps  in  coordination  with  the  Ministries  of  Road
- Transport and Highways, Civil Aviation and Railways; and
- (d)   the timelines fixed for completion of such connectivity projects?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF TOURISM           (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

(a) to (d): Connectivity is an important aspect for developing tourism in the country. Ministry of Tourism coordinate very closely with Ministry of Civil  Aviation,  Ministry  of  Railways,  Ministry  of  Road  Transport  & Highways and Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways for connecting the tourism destinations with major source market and also to achieve last mile connectivity across the country including the tourist destinations in Assam.

Government in Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is primarily responsible for development and Maintenance of National Highways (NHs) in  the  country  and  based  on  the  traffic  density,  connectivity/logistic requirements  and  synergy  with  PM  Gati  Shakti  National  Master  Plan. Development and planning of State Highways (SHs) in the region is being done by the concerned State Governments/Union Territory Administration.

Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India in 2016 has launched RCS-UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme - Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme,  whose  primary  objective  is  to  facilitate/stimulate  regional  air connectivity by making it affordable. Ministry of Tourism has collaborated with the Ministry of Civil Aviation to extend financial support in the form of  Viability  Gap  Funding  (VGF)  under  the  Champion  Services  Sector Scheme  (CSSS)  with  the  purpose  of  further  improving  connectivity  to important tourist places including lesser-known destinations. Ministry of Tourism  is  sharing  the  Viability  Gap  Funding  (VGF)  amount  for  the  53 tourism  routes  identified  for  this  purpose,  list  of  which  is  placed  at

Annexure. Ministry of Tourism is working closely with all the line Ministries to address  connectivity  gaps  and  this  remains  a  continuous  and  ongoing endeavour. No specific timeline has been fixed for completion of such projects.

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## ANNEXURE

STATEMENT IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3815 ANSWERED ON 16.03.2026 REGARDING IMPROVEMENT IN CONNECTIVITY FOR TOURIST DESTINATIONS RAISED BY MD. RAKIBUL HUSSAIN

## LIST OF 53 TOURISM ROUTES COMMENCED UNDER RCS-UDAN

|   Sr.No. | Departure Airport               | Arrival Airport                 |
|----------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|        1 | AHMEDABAD(Gujarat)              | UDAIPUR (Rajasthan)             |
|        2 | UDAIPUR (Rajasthan)             | AHMEDABAD(Gujarat)              |
|        3 | AMRITSAR(Punjab)                | JAIPUR(Rajasthan)               |
|        4 | JAIPUR(Rajasthan)               | AMRITSAR                        |
|        5 | BHOPAL (Madhya Pradesh)         | UDAIPUR (Rajasthan)             |
|        6 | UDAIPUR (Rajasthan)             | BHOPAL (Madhya Pradesh)         |
|        7 | BANGALORE (Karnataka)           | MYSORE (Karnataka)              |
|        8 | MYSORE (Karnataka)              | BANGALORE (Karnataka)           |
|        9 | RAJAMUNDRY (Andhra Pradesh)     | VISHAKHAPATNAM (Andhra Pradesh) |
|       10 | VISHAKHAPATNAM (Andhra Pradesh) | RAJAMUNDRY (Andhra Pradesh)     |
|       11 | KOLKATA (West Bengal)           | AMRITSAR (Punjab)               |
|       12 | AMRITSAR (Punjab)               | KOLKATA (West Bengal)           |
|       13 | DIMAPUR (Nagaland)              | IMPHAL (Manipur)                |
|       14 | IMPHAL (Manipur)                | DIMAPUR (Nagaland)              |
|       15 | VARANASI (Uttar Pradesh)        | BHUBANESHWAR (Odisha)           |
|       16 | BHUBANESHWAR (Odisha)           | VARANASI (Uttar Pradesh)        |
|       17 | AIZAWL (Mizoram)                | AGARTALA (Tripura)              |
|       18 | AGARTALA (Tripura)              | AIZAWL (Mizoram)                |
|       19 | VARANASI (Uttar Pradesh)        | BHUBANESHWAR (Odisha)           |
|       20 | BHUBANESHWAR (Odisha)           | VARANASI (Uttar Pradesh)        |
|       21 | VARANASI (Uttar Pradesh)        | PATNA (Bihar)                   |
|       22 | AMRITSAR (Punjab)               | PATNA (Bihar)                   |
|       23 | PATNA (Bihar)                   | AMRITSAR (Punjab)               |
|       24 | CALICUT (Kerala)                | DELHI                           |
|       25 | DELHI                           | CALICUT (Kerala)                |
|       26 | AGRA (Uttar Pradesh)            | BHOPAL (Madhya Pradesh)         |
|       27 | BHOPAL (MP)                     | AGRA (Uttar Pradesh)            |
|       28 | DIBRUGARH (Assam)               | DIMAPUR (Nagaland)              |
|       29 | DIMAPUR (Nagaland)              | DIBRUGARH (Assam)               |
|       30 | DIBRUGARH (Assam)               | IMPHAL (Manipur)                |

|   31. | IMPHAL (Manipur)             | DIBRUGARH (Assam)            |
|-------|------------------------------|------------------------------|
|    32 | DELHI                        | KHAJURAHO (Madhya Pradesh)   |
|    33 | KHAJURAHO (Madhya Pradesh)   | DELHI                        |
|    34 | GORAKHPUR (Uttar Pradesh)    | VARANASI (Uttar Pradesh)     |
|    35 | VARANASI (Uttar Pradesh)     | GORAKHPUR (Uttar Pradesh)    |
|    36 | PRAYAGRAJ (Uttar Pradesh)    | LUCKNOW (Uttar Pradesh)      |
|    37 | LUCKNOW (Uttar Pradesh)      | PRAYAGRAJ (Uttar Pradesh)    |
|    38 | DEOGHAR (Jharkhand)          | KOLKATA (West Bengal)        |
|    39 | KOLKATA (West Bengal)        | DEOGHAR (Jharkhand)          |
|    40 | DEOGHAR (Jharkhand)          | PATNA (Bihar)                |
|    41 | PATNA (Bihar)                | DEOGHAR (Jharkhand)          |
|    42 | DEOGHAR (Jharkhand)          | RANCHI (Jharkhand)           |
|    43 | RANCHI (Jharkhand)           | DEOGHAR (Jharkhand)          |
|    44 | BANGALORE (Karnataka)        | VIDYANAGAR (Karnataka)       |
|    45 | VIDYANAGAR (Karnataka)       | BANGALORE (Karnataka)        |
|    46 | HYDERABAD (Telangana)        | VIDYANAGAR (Karnataka)       |
|    47 | VIDYANAGAR (Karnataka)       | HYDERABAD (Telangana)        |
|    48 | BHOPAL (Madhya Pradesh)      | UDAIPUR (Rajasthan)          |
|    49 | UDAIPUR (Rajasthan)          | BHOPAL (Madhya Pradesh)      |
|    50 | AHMEDABAD (Gujarat)          | UDAIPUR (Rajasthan)          |
|    51 | UDAIPUR (Rajasthan)          | AHMEDABAD (Gujarat)          |
|    52 | HOLLONGI (Arunachal Pradesh) | GUWAHATI (Assam)             |
|    53 | GUWAHATI (Assam)             | HOLLONGI (Arunachal Pradesh) |

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