Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 30: No doubt certain steps have been initiated to give fillip to the tourism activities but the Government has yet not come clear on tourism promotion in many parts of Jammu and Kashmir despite extending assurances from various forums about laying required focus on such areas so as to facilitate people to reap benefits of tourism potential.
Whenever there is a demand for tapping tourism potential from any part of the State, the Government is prompt in responding by either extending assurances about creation of separate Tourism Development Authority or bringing such an area under the ambit of nearby and already existing Development Authority.
Although establishment of large number of Tourism Development Authorities has already created conflict between these Authorities, Tourism Department and Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation because of their having almost similar mandate of tourism promotion, there are certain areas where establishment of Development Authorities is of utmost importance and cannot be ignored.
Nobra area of Leh district is blessed with immense beauty of its own kind and thousands of tourists both domestic and foreign annually visit this part of Ladakh region as such creation of Development Authority is of immense significance so that required facilities are made available to the visitors.
Keeping in view the demand of the people of Nobra and their respective elected representatives, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh in the year 2014 carried out a detailed exercise and vide communication dated August 21, 2014 submitted a proposal to the Tourism Department.
Though the previous as well as present Legislator from the area repeatedly raised the issue of establishment of Development Authority for Nobra on the floor of the Legislature but their demand has fallen on the deaf ears of those at the helm of affairs in the Tourism Department. “There is no progress on the proposal of Hill Council during the past nearly two years”, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Similarly, when the Legislators from the erstwhile Doda district (presently comprising of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban) started raising demand for creation of Development Authorities for the parts of their respective constituencies, in the year 2012 it was stated by the then Government that on the basis of public demand, the Government was considering the proposal of establishment of single Development Authority for potential areas of Doda, Ramban and Reasi districts.
It was officially stated that the proposal was under active consideration of the Government but the consideration process has yet not concluded despite lapse of more than four years. “Due to this several areas having huge tourism potential have failed to come up on tourism map”, sources said while referring to Doda constituency whose many areas have potential to attract tourists if proper infrastructure is created.
Similarly, the recent announcement about establishment of Development Authority for Bani, Basohli and Billawar is yet to be translated into reality by the Tourism Department, sources said, adding “establishment of another Development Authority in the immediate vicinity of already existing Development Authority of Bani-Sarthal is otherwise not advisable”.
All this indicates that on one side the Government is prompt in announcing Development Authority and on the other side it backtracks from making the same a reality, sources said.
Pointing towards the much talked about Vision Document, sources said, “what to talk of general public even the elected representatives of the people are unaware of the contents of the Vision Document”, adding “the Government should immediately make public the Vision Document so that people come to know about the plans for tourism promotion”.
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