Srinagar, Aug 6: Kashmir Rafting Operators’ Association (KROA) today held its Annual General Meet at village Yenner in Pahalgam. The meeting besides taking some other decisions, elected the boy of Executive Committee. Ibrahim Raina and Muhammad Yousuf were unanimously elected its President and General Secretary respectively. Manzoor Joo was elected as Vice-President, Hakeem Muhammad Yousuf as Joint Secretary and Uzair Nazir as Treasurer.
 The elections were held in presence of Rauf Tramboo, president TAAK and Mehraj Din, president ATOAK.
 The association members at the meeting resolved to hold series of activities for the promotion of Yennar for adventure and heritage tourism.
 The meeting decided to hold first ever “Yenner festival” which would comprise rafting and sport angling championships, etc.
 “Better facilities for conveyance of tourists would be created at all rafting spots in the Valley,” the meeting said, adding that the association would approach Director Tourism, Kashmir for sponsoring some adventure related activities. Director (operation) of Adventure Call Tours, Muhammad Yousuf said there is urgent need of exploring other rivers like Veshu nallah, Kishansar & Drass rivers etc for commercial river rafting in the state.
 The meeting criticized the Directorate of Tourism for permitting more and more “inexperienced” companies to operate rafting in Ledder Nallah which, according to the members, “could prove fatal someday and the responsibility would lie entirely on Tourism Department.” “There is need of proper regulation of commercial river rafting in Kashmir and Tourism Department should not act merely as a spectator and issue the rafting permissions randomly,” it said.
 “Like other states the department should enforce smooth functioning of this growing adventure product and try to encourage more eco-friendly activities,” it added.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 6 Aug 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 6 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 7 Aug 2012 00:00:00 IST