*No coordination between Tourism Deptt,
Town Planning Org
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 25: Shocking it may sound but it is a fact that majority of the Tourism Development Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir don’t have any road-map for the development of areas under their respective jurisdictions even several years after their establishment by the Government. In this way, the objective of having planned development from tourism point of view stands defeated leading to haphazard growth.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that several Development Authorities were created by the Government from time to time under the administrative control of Tourism Department for those areas which have tourism potential. The main objective behind this step was to create infrastructure for attraction of tourists without compromising on the natural beauty of the respective areas.
Each Development Authority was required to have a Master Plan for guiding the sustainable and planned development of the local areas and to build tourism infrastructure and network of roads to make the tourism potential areas easily accessible.
However, this vital aspect has not received due attention in respect of majority of the Development Authorities particularly in Jammu region despite lapse of several years mainly because of non-seriousness on the part of those who remained at the helm of affairs in the Tourism Department, sources said while disclosing that in respect of some Tourism Development Authorities the exercise for preparation of Master Plan was initiated several years back but the same has yet not reached the logical conclusion.
Quoting some examples, sources said Surinsar-Mansar Development Authority was constituted vide notification issued under SRO-211 dated June 26, 2006 and it started functioning with effect from July 14, 2006. However, even 11 years after its establishment the Master Plan has remained a distant dream despite the fact that this Authority has jurisdiction over parts of three districts Samba, Udhampur and Jammu and has been entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring planned development of such a large area from tourism point of view.
“The draft of the Master Plan has almost been ready and hopefully the same will be put in public domain for inviting objections and suggestions shortly”, said an officer of this Tourism Development Authority on the condition of anonymity. He, however, admitted inordinate delay in formulation of Master Plan and held Town Planning Organization responsible for the same.
Similarly, Kishtwar Development Authority was created vide Government Order No.209-TSM dated September 17, 2005 and formally constituted in July 2007 but till date Master Plan is nowhere in sight. “The exercise for formulation of Master Plan was set into motion in 2012 but despite lapse of five years even draft has not been prepared”, sources said while disclosing that this Authority has been entrusted with the task of making holistic and integrated development by creating infrastructure in order to tap vast tourism potential spread over 10 to 15 kilometers area.
Likewise, Rajouri Development Authority was established as per the Cabinet decision dated September 23, 2005 and it started functioning since 2006 but no serious attention has been paid towards having Master Plan to guide development of the area under its jurisdiction.
Some years back the exercise was started in this direction and even funds were placed at the disposal of a company engaged for the task but what happened thereafter is not known”, sources said.
They further informed that no Master Plan has so far been prepared for the Lakhanpur-Sarthal Development Authority, which was created in 2005-06 and has jurisdiction over vast area of Kathua district for creation of infrastructure from tourism point of view.
“The draft of the Master Plan was prepared by the consultant engaged by the Tourism Department but and the same was sent to Town Planning Organization for incorporation of some suggestions but thereafter no progress was made”, an officer of this Development Authority said while expressing inability to specify when the draft will be received back and put in public domain. The intensity of non-seriousness can be gauged from the fact that there is no official website of Lakhanpur-Sarthal Development Authority.
They further said, “there is no coordination between the Tourism Department and Town Planning Organization and draft wherever prepared is gathering dust in the official files”, adding “it is a matter of concern that while Ministers and MLAs are showing interest in announcement of more Development Authorities there is absolutely no focus on having Master Plan, which otherwise is imperative for planned development”.
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