Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Apr 4: District Development Commissioner, Kathua, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary chaired a meeting to finalize arrangements for celebration of 1st Border Festival, which will be celebrated biannually on rotation in various border areas.
The border festival aimed at promoting International Border as a tourist attraction and creating facilities for local and national tourists is being organised on April 9 at Hiranagar.
The festival will have a series of recreational activities, cultural programmes and special emphasis will also be laid on information, education and communication regarding various Government schemes for border residents in particular. More than 100 stalls by departments, organizations, projects, industries and tourism associations will be established during the festival. A one-day border trip package is also being organised by administration for tourists. The festival will showcase Dogra cultural heritage, art and history.
The DDC informed that the festival is aimed at boosting the tourism sector in border area and linking youth with a public driven tourism industry. More than 15 Border Tourism Huts are being taken up with public partnership in current year for attracting tourists. He called upon officers of line departments to put in their best efforts for making the event successful and lay firm foundation for showcasing border belt as a tourist destination and support livelihood of border residents.
Arrangements related to fool-proof security, establishment of 104 stalls, fire & emergency, first aid, cultural programme, invitation, reception, heritage display, transportation, management, involvement of public and industry, tourism groups, NGOs, publicity were discussed in the meeting. Administration has extended open invitation to interested associations and groups to display various tourist destinations and packages in the festival. Border Security Force, Army and PTC Kathua have extended assistance to district administration in logistic arrangements and organizing special events. Sports events and competitions will also form a part of festival.
SSP Kathua Neeva Jain, Addl DC Dr Mushtaq Ahmed, Addl SP Nasir Ahmed, CPO Ram Rattan, SDM Hiranagar Sohan Lal, ACD Tilak Raj, Principal GDCs, CEO, District officers of all the departments and other attended the meeting.
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