Minister for Tourism Tassaduq Hussain Mufti today said the state government has adopted a multipronged strategy to harness the tourism potential and position Jammu and Kashmir as the leading global destination adding that the idea is to make the tourism sector as the principal engine of the State’s economic growth.
Winding up the discussion on Demands for Grants of Tourism and allied Departments for the year 2018-19, the Minister, in his maiden speech in the Legislative Assembly, said government’s endeavour would be to frame a tourism policy for not just creating jobs but to ensure better livelihood for the people.
“We should not ignore the environmental consequences while creating infrastructure and exploring new destinations,” he said and mentioned the emerging situation around Pyangong Lake, Ladakh and Sonamarg in Kashmir due to uncontrolled human activities. He stressed on the need on laying equal focus on the waste management in the environmentally fragile destinations.
Listing the achievements of Tourism department during 2017-18, the Minister informed that under centrally sponsored Swadesh Darshan Scheme, various projects were taken up, of which many have been completed and remaining are at advance stage of completion.
Giving details of the projects taken up under the Scheme, he said that development of Sound and Light Show with water fountains at SKICC Ghats at a cost of Rs 8 crore and Rs 1.53 crore Eco log Multipurpose hall at Apple Resort at Chinniwooder in Anantnag has been completed, while wayside amenities in Bijbehara at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore and development of Tourism infrastructure at Suchetgarh Border at a cost of Rs 4.92 crore is in progress.
Under Prime Minister Development Package (PMDP), the Minister said that various projects including development of Tourist facilities at Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu involving a cost of Rs 15.96 crore, development of Tourist facilities at SKICC at a cost of Rs 9.25 crore, development of water Sports at Manasbal Lakeworth Rs 5 crore, development of tourist facilities at Dal lake at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore and Eco log huts at Jammu Tawi Golf Course, involving cost of Rs 8 crore are in progress and shall be completed on fast track basis. He said projects under PMDP have been taken up at an accumulative cost of Rs 32.7crore, while works at Tourist Convention Centre, Srinagar taken up under State Plan at a cost of 12 crore are expected to be completed by June, 2018.