Report on J&K Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) tabled in the Legislative Assembly for the year 2004-5 is a sad commentary on the performance of the department that claims to be of crucial importance to the economy of the State. Presented after a gap of eight years, it invited question by the members and the Government had very little to defend itself against the charges of inefficiency and other debilities of the department. Apart from that, the very content of the report is highly disappointing. Several glaring defaults and shortcomings have been identified which belie all claims that the department is being run along efficient lines. Absence of a report on physical verification of stocks, stores and provisions, absence of valuation report of stocks from appropriate authority, inability of the Corporation to produce the register of loans or advances in the nature of loans to parties, inability to explain steps taken to recover the loans and proper delegation of powers by the Corporation for sales and purchases of stocks etc. are the areas that have come under the focus of the report.
A close study of the report will reveal that inefficiency, irresponsibility and absence of accountability have been dogging the Corporation year after year. We are making a loud noise all over the country about Kashmir being the finest spot of tourism in a bid to attract local and foreign tourists. That is all right and we are justified to do so. But the functioning of the Corporation, as is revealed by the report in question, does not support what we claim. We have repeatedly said that the State Tourist Development Corporation needs overhauling at all levels in order to bring it at par with recognized international standards of tourism. Doing so needs initiative and originality and not only funding, which, however, was never denied to the Department? All loopholes and bottlenecks identified in the report should be cleared without further delay.
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