Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 17: J&K Bank today dedicated the Amusement and Hikers’ Park Pahalgam to public amid a huge gathering of locals and visitors that included women and children.
State Minister for Horticulture, Haj & Auqaf, Abdul Rehman Veeri inaugurated the park in presence of bank’s Chariman & CEO Mushtaq Ahmad and Secretary Tourism Farooq Ahmad Shah. The bank’s Executive President Parvez Ahmad, President M Syed Wani, CEO Pahalgam Devlopment Authority Riyaz Ahmad Wani, SDM Nissar Ahmad Nissar were also present on the occasion.
Thanking the bank for re-dedicating the park to public, Abdul Rehman Veeri said, “We are very thankful to the bank for renovating this park and making it an ideal place for visitors and locals to socialize and entertain. It assumes more significance as we expect a bumper tourism year in 2016.”
He said, “J&K Bank is the flagship company of this State and it has earned name for itself besides repute for the state within and outside only because of its remarkable performance. Besides, the bank has been at the forefront to take such projects of social and cultural relevance, which also help in promotion of tourism in the state. Be it wonderful Badamvaer in Srinagar or many such parks in other districts as well.”
Earlier Chairman & CEO Mushtaq Ahmad reiterated the bank’s commitment to play major role in every activity within the purview CSR, which is aimed at social, economic and cultural welfare of the people of this State.
He said, “We have already revived and restored to glory many places of eco-cultural significance like Badamvaer in Srinagar. It is in this context, I feel delighted to share with you that the State Government has recently alloted us 22 more kanals of land for further expansion of this park.”
“Coming from our major shareholder, for us, it is an acknowledgement of the spirit, that fuels all our endeavours aimed at the socio-economic welfare of the people of this state, who have supported us throughout our journey of ups and downs for more than 76 years now”, he added.
The Pahalgam Amusement Park was initially developed by the bank with expenditure of around Rs 3.25 Cr and dedicated to the public in 2005, but was closed to public due to some unavoidable circumstances.
Now, the park that sprawls over 42 kanals of prized land in Pahalgam has been renovated further by the Bank incurring again a cost of more than Rs 3 Cr. The bank has added more than dozen attractions to the park in the form of state-of-the-art rides, which give it a major face-lift within that typical Pahalgam bustle.
On the first day, free ride was offered to the students of some local schools of the area.
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