SANKHUWASABHA: ocals of Tumlingtar of Khadbari- 15, located in Arun Valley — a valley located at the lowest place of the world — have started home stay facility for tourists recently. People of the underprivileged Kumal community have started the programe. The group is economically and educationally backward. They started the home stay project after the Tourism Ministry allocated Rs 100,000 for the purpose through the District Development Committee.

According to LDO Laxmi Prasad Niroula, the DDC has provided 33 per cent of the budget to the locals for preparation work. They have to spend the amount on managing beds and constructing toilets including other works. Niroula said each house would keep the internal and foreign tourists in a room having such environment which represents the identity of their community. Home Stay Operation Committee chairman Bhuwan Halide, informed that they managed 20 per cent of the budget themselves. He informed that 10 families have started home stay facility in the first phase.

DDC officials said they encouraged the locals to manage home stay to attract tourists in the area who come there to visit and study natural diversities of the place. DDC programme officer Subash Chandra Kuikel said it would help increase tourist activities in the area. Kumal Society chairman Bir Bahadur Kuma said around 10,000 internal and foreign tourists visit the area annually. Locals said that they started home stay to provide cultural information about the Kumal community to tourists. Each house has the capacity to manage board and lodging for five tourists at a time.