Developing tourist infrastructure Modi Govt’s focus: Khatana

MP (RS) Gulam Ali Khatana during a party programme at Reasi on Thursday.
MP (RS) Gulam Ali Khatana during a party programme at Reasi on Thursday.

‘Urges Reasi admn to come up with innovative projects’
Excelsior Correspondent
REASI, Mar 9: MP Rajya Sabha, Gulam Ali Khatana today visited district Reasi and addressed BJP workers meeting there. He also presided over a meeting of the district administration to review the Centrally sponsored schemes.
Addressing the party workers Khatana said that Narendra Modi led Government has laid special emphasis on developing the sustainable tourist infrastructure in the UT of J&K. He said that the world famous Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, Aghar Jitto, Shiv Khori shrine, Baba Banda Bahadur are major pilgrim tourist destinations in district Reasi which attract over 1.30 crore pilgrims every year. The people not only from district Reasi but also from the other parts of UT are major beneficiaries. He stressed the need for people associated with pilgrim tourism to act as brand ambassadors of UT of J&K so that J&K emerges as major tourist attraction.
Khatana said that though major pilgrim tourist traffic has been coming to the Reasi district but the previous regimes failed to develop the required infrastructure to deal with such huge pilgrim traffic. Moreover, no attention was paid to develop the nearby areas.
He said that previous regimes discriminated against Reasi which was the oldest district because it was and is a Jan Sangh/BJP stronghold but things would not continue as they were. He assured to take up the issues raised by BJP workers with LG Manoj Sinha including Nandali Power Project, construction of Gulabgarh-Nandi Marg road, tourism spots upgradation, road work Kanda to Ransoo, Fisheries pond renovation at Thanpal.
Prominent among others present in meeting were Rohit Dubey district president BJP, Reasi, Ex-MoS & MLA Ajay Nanda, Sheel Magotra, Pradeep Singh, Kabla Singh, Romail Singh and BJP ST Morcha, president Choudhary Roshan.
Later presiding over a meeting of the district administration to review the Centrally sponsored schemes, Khatana stressed the district administration to plan major developmental initiatives for district Reasi. He said that even if 10-15 per cent of the pilgrim tourists visiting Mata Vaishno Devi shrine are diverted to other tourist destinations, the UT will flourish and unemployed youth will get better employment and self employment avenues.
He said that district Reasi with innovative planning and efficient administration can be a fountain head for the development and progress of whole J&K.
MP Khatana also urged to utilize the potential of river Chenab by developing and promoting adventure tourism and developing a water park. He assured to get every help from Central Government, if some plans are formulated by the district administration.