Chandigarh:  In a bid to attract tourists to the villages, the Punjab government has launched a Farm Tourism Scheme in Punjab aiming at providing an interesting and relaxing rural tourism to the visitor and also ensuring them adequate exposure to local community life besides enjoying the pure Punjabi cuisine. The focus on Farm Tourism would also bring back the people especially the younger generations of non-resident Indian Punjabi families to the basic Punjabi cultural values and ethos. Detailed information in this regard could be sought from the official website of Punjab Tourism department i.e.www.punjabtourism.gov.in.

Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Punjab government said that detailed guidelines have already been chalked out to rope in progressive farmers and farmhouse owners across the state ofPunjab. Under the scheme, a farmhouse owner would play the host and guide to the visitors. Those enrolling under the scheme would have to provide clean, hygienic environment, equipped with modern facilities that meet the standards defined by the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board, she said.

Giving details, she said the farmhouse owner would provide home cooked food, comfortable accommodation and tell the visitors about the local agricultural practices like floricultural, harvesting bee-keeping and dairying. Besides the farm experience, visitors would also be exposed to local festivals and marriages. The quality of services offered by the farm owners would be verified by the district authority as well as the tourism department. The department would also provide mandatory training and technical know-how to the farm owners. Preference would be given to farms which have agricultural land attached and only farmhouses with minimum two rooms would be registered, she added.

Adding further, she said that the visitors could also participate or witness rural games such as wrestling, kite flying and bullock cart rides or tractor rides. Besides this arrangements such as taking bath at the tube well could be another attraction and a unique feature for both adults and children from urban areas. The registration of the farm houses under this scheme would be valid for five years initially subject to periodic inspection by a committee constituted by the PHTPB. The Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board may cancel the registration in the event of any serious and justified complaint of any nature particularly about standards of service, cleanliness, courtesy, standards of food served etc. The farm houses registered could not be used for any other purpose except tourism, she added.