Only Filthy Rich Can Afford
New Delhi:
While inaugurating the world’s longest river cruise, Ganga Vilas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it “a new age of tourism in India”, but Parliamentary Secretary-General in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh called it is “obscene”.
Taking to Twitter, the congressional leader said the service would also endanger India’s national aquatic mammals.
“The Ganga river cruise announced by the Prime Minister is obscene! Who can afford Rs 500,000 per night except the filthy rich? Ganga is still neither Nirmal nor Aviral. Now this Tamasha is also would endanger India’s national aquatic mammal – the Ganges river dolphin,” Jairam Ramesh wrote in his tweet.
He then corrected his tweet that had an incorrect cost per night for the itinerary.
Repair: Rs. 50,000 per night https://t.co/5BDsLCwlzo
– Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 16, 2023
The Ganges cruise was flagged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday from Varanasi.
The 51-day cruise, billed as the world’s longest river cruise, is expected to reach its final destination – Dibrugarh in Assam – on March 1.
“The beginning of the world’s longest river cruise service on the Ganga River is a landmark moment. It will herald a new age of tourism in India,” Prime Minister Modi said in concluding. virtual excursions via video conferencing.
Departing from Varanasi, the MV Ganga Vilas cruise ship will travel 3,200 km in 51 days, crossing 27 river systems and several states before concluding at Dibrugarh. The trip has lots of visits to 50 tourist attractions, including World Heritage sites, national parks, river terraces and major cities like Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Guwahati in Assam.
The MV Ganga Vilas Cruise was curated to bring the best of the country to show to the world.
The itinerary will allow tourists to embark on a trip to experience and enjoy the art, culture, history and spirituality of India and Bangladesh.
MV Ganga Vilas has three decks, 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 guests, with full luxury amenities. The first trip had 32 tourists from Switzerland registered during the journey.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
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