Tourism promotion confined to hoardings, signages
*Spots having huge potential facing official neglect
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 6: Notwithstanding the tall claims of the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir about expanding tourism beyond traditional spots, Tourism Department is bringing Bani on the tourism map with half-hearted approach as the spots having vast potential continue to face the official neglect.
Located in Kathua district, Bani is a small glaciated valley and is known for its temperate and cold climate, waterfalls, thick forests, gushing streams and meadows. Several areas in Bani are as beautiful as many destinations in the Kashmir valley.
“However, despite having vast potential to be on the tourism map, Bani is still facing official neglect for the reasons best known to those who are supposed to ensure that the available potential is fully tapped”, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
They further said, “only Sarthal area is witnessing some activities from tourism point of view while as other areas like Chala Dhar, 7 Waterfalls and Dhaggar have not received due attention of the Tourism Department till date although these areas are as beautiful as some prominent destinations in the Kashmir valley”.
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Pointing towards the document of the Tourism Department, which was recently made public, sources said, “on the name of tourism promotion in Bani area the concerned authorities only celebrated World Environment Day, conducted Swatchhta Hi Sewa drive and held Bani-Basohli Utsav that too at Basohli in the year 2023 despite the fact that several areas of Bani can emerge as best tourist destinations because of natural beauty”.
“The activities which have been mentioned in the official document were actually the drives conducted across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and were not at all planned exclusively for Bani area”, they further said, adding “further, for enhancing tourism in Bani area the Tourism Department has only provided signages and hoardings at Kathua, Bani and Basohli and constructed view points at some locations on Bani-Basohli road”.
They, however, felt that Bani should have been promoted as tourism destination by giving wide publicity in different parts of Jammu and outside through vast LED panels and by creating ample facilities at all those places which have the potential to attract visitors from within and outside J&K.
Though the Tourism Department has claimed that some projects like development of waterfall/selfie point at Sat-Serra and selfie point at Siara, multi-facility centres at Dambra, Plakh, Saman, Hutt Draman and at Thanda Shoo are being executed yet elected representative of the people claimed that progress was very slow.
“The progress is dismal”, remarked MLA Bani Dr Rameshwar Singh when approached by EXCELSIOR, adding “several places in Bani are as beautiful as Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh and Pahalgam in Kashmir valley but adequate attention has not been paid towards them till date”.
He further said, “mere signages and hoardings are not going to promote tourism in the area. Some concrete plan is required to be formulated keeping in view the potential of several places in Bani otherwise conducting one or two activities in a year will not yield the desirable results”.
“It was due to my persistent efforts that Winter Festival at Sarthal was organized and incorporated as annual feature in the calendar of the Tourism Department”, the MLA said.
However, the Tourism Department claimed that a major project namely “development of tourism infrastructure at Sarthal valley” with an estimated cost of Rs 486.50 lakh under Capex is currently under execution.
The components of the projects, as per the department, are construction of eco-log TRC huts, gender-sensitive public convenience, walkways, parking lot, view-points and installation of high mast lights.
It is pertinent to mention here that boundaries of Bani touch Chamba in Himachal Pradesh, Bhaderwah and Dudu Basantgarh as such tourists visiting these places can be easily attracted to Bani provided required infrastructure and facilities are created there.
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