Strife disrupts tourist flow Around 1,000 tourists, who were on a trip in the Dooars, were left stranded because of cancellation of trains

TT Bureau, 17.12.19,  Siliguri and Jalpaiguri: Violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the resultant cancellation of trains have taken a toll on tourism in Bengal, right from the Dooars to Digha.

In north Bengal, several tourists had to cancel trips planned in the past few days.

“At least 3,000 tourists who were supposed to be in the Dooars didn’t come as trains have been cancelled. Some others who were supposed to arrive on December 25 and onwards are also cancelling trips,” said Dibyendu Deb, the secretary of the Lataguri Resort Owners’ Welfare Association.

Sources said around 1,000 tourists, who were on a trip in the Dooars, were left stranded because of cancellation of trains. “We stayed in Lataguri on Monday as our train had been cancelled on Sunday evening. We don’t know when train services will resume and are trying to collect bus tickets from Siliguri,” said Joy Goswami, a resident of Tollygunge, Calcutta.

Kanchan Dey, who is from Ballygunge in Calcutta, said he could not return home as the Sealdah-bound Teesta Torsha Express was cancelled on Monday.

“I was offered a bus ticket by a local transporter but he asked for Rs 2,500. I did not buy it and am trying other options,” said Dey.

Tourism in the beach towns of Digha, Mandarmani and Shankarpur in East Midnapore has also faced a hit because of continuous protests against the CAA over the past three days. Around 90 per cent of tourists have cancelled their bookings. Sources said a large number tourists could not reach the beach towns on Monday as several trains were cancelled and NH116B was blocked for over five hours by the agitators.

Additional reporting by Anshuman Phadikar in Digha