Patnitop, a famous hilltop tourist location in Udhampur, while deserving to be developed and more facilities provided to the tourists while respecting and preserving ecology and environment, continues to be not getting reasonably adequate attention from the concerned Government authorities. Tourism Department continues to ”sit on ” the file of much needed Master Plan for this famous tourist destination which was conceived much earlier and prepared nine years back, to be precise in September 2011. Looking to the tremendous growth potential of this tourist place because of the increasing footfall of tourists and pilgrims of Mata Shree Vaishno Devi and Shri Amarnath Ji coupled with agricultural and horticultural activities in the adjoining areas, Patnitop has the promise to become a centre of economic activities within the region. This fact should have proved as a stimulus and the driving factor in hastening the start of process of the Master Plan getting approved and its implementation in the right earnest. The inordinate delay, the alibi of the conditions on account of the current COVID-19 pandemic notwithstanding, in the entire exercise is uncalled for.
Not only this, the Urban Environment Engineering Department (UEED) has failed to meet the deadline for making sewerage scheme functional which has a direct bearing on the environment concerns of the entire area. As regards the funding part of it , the project is taken care of by Jammu and Kashmir Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (JKIDFC). We are, time and again, voicing our concern about the zeal, enthusiasm and an urge to do innovative things as part of official duty being in utter deficit in most of the authorities of the Government, the result for instance thereof, could be seen in both the vital aspects aiming at promoting and sustaining tourism on modern, commercial and viable grounds in respect of Patnitop, no more on the ground. We find, on the other hand, that unorganised growth and haphazard developments lead to chaos, creating messy situations. This can well be seen in Patnitop thus putting extra pressure on the existing infrastructurefacilities hence calling for the intervention of measures on long term basis like the Master Plan which aims at comprehensive and holistic development with a sensitive regard for ecological and environmental conservation. While the said Plan underwent series of changes and amends following the draft being put in the public domain for inviting objections and suggestions, an agreement was signed between Patnitop Development Authority and Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, (CEPT) Hyderabad.
As is a ‘natural wont’ with the UT Revenue Department, one or the other vital information related to revenue records gets omitted or noted which is later found not consistent with the Revenue records, the same happened in the Plan papers as well, where land proposed to be acquired for different purposes had no revenue numbers and particulars incorporated. Moreover, CEPT too did not ask for such a sensitive and vital information from the Revenue Department. Process of redrafting and putting the plan before public domain for fresh objections and suggestions took place again. However, there is no progress and the UT Tourism Department, which has administrative control over Patnitop Development Authority, has reportedly been sitting on the files of the Master Plan, now for quite a long time. On the other hand, the inability of the team of the CEPT scheduled for field visiting two months back, could not do it due to the Corona-virus pandemic. Let all the blame for inaction, lethargy, lack of interest and to do practically nothing be not put on the over ”whipped and dragged” COVID-19 pandemic only. Let the Master Plan see the light of the day so that this tourist destination blessed with natural charm, pleasant climate, lush green forests and with picnic spots, trekking areas, mountain- capes etc become an ideal tourist place with promise of ever increase in the tourist footfall.
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