Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 31: Minister for Tourism, Ghulam Ahmad Mir today inaugurated Tourist Facilitation Center and other tourist related facilities at Suchetgarh, completed at the cost of Rs 3.50 crore to develop border tourism in the area.
Mr. Mir also inaugurated one-day border tourism Mela, organized by Tourism Department to showcase the border tourism potential of the area.
Member Parliament, Madan Lal Sharma, Legislators, Ch. Sham Lal, Prof. Guru Ram, B R Kundal, Former Minister R S Chib, Director Tourism Jammu, Sujaniya Sharma, Dy Director M&W Tourism, Javid Iqbal, S P Border Shalinder, SDM R S Pura, President Darmarth Trust, Rtd Mej Gen Jamwal, Representatives of Tour and Travel Operators and other senior officers of tourism and other departments were present on the occasion.
The Minister paid obesience at religious places and shrines at Octroi border out post and was joined by Member Parliament Madan Lal Sharma and Former Minister, R S Chib.
Addressing to a public gathering after throwing open the Mela, Tourism Minister said tourism is the backbone of State’s economy and its expansion was the priority of the Government. The Minister said the initiative will help develop border areas which possess immense tourism potential. He said tourism elevation means the prosperity of the whole State.
The Minister said that now-a-days tourism is interlinked with promotion of other potential sectors like agriculture, horticulture, handicrafts and handlooms besides adventure, pilgrim and border tourism and it was the responsibility of all of us to bring complete peace and normalcy in the State for providing congenial atmosphere for not only tourism boom but other trade and commerce activities in the State.
“The Government would encourage private stakeholders for investment under tourism sector for creation of varied infrastructure facilities” , he added.
Mir said that Jammu and Kashmir has tremendous border tourism potential which would be explored fully in a phased manner so that the visiting tourists not only enjoy the lush green beauty of our border areas but it also help in boosting the economy of these areas. “The instructions have already been given to Tourism Department higher ups to identify potential border spots for development”, he added.
Referring to the creation of tourist related infrastructure facilities at Suchetgarh border post, the Minister said the Rs.6.39 crore was sanctioned by the Centre for the development of tourism infrastructure at Suchetgarh in Jammu district and Chambyal in Samba district against which Rs 5.10 crore already released by the Centre. He said that facilities like tourist facilitation centers, rooms, restaurants, flower stalls, construction of pathways, toilet blocks, view decks, besides conservation and development of the Radha-Krishan temple and Peer Baba Ziarat at Suchetgarh have been completed for convenience of tourists.
The Minister said that a children park would be developed near Octroi post Suchetgarh, adding that to create more tourist facilities in the area a detailed project report would be formulated for Centre funding this year.
Member Parliament, Madan Lal in his address said that opening of border tourism in the area would boost the local economy. He said that Jammu region has a great tourism potential needs more attention to promote it, which prove beneficial to divert the piligrim tourists to the visit of these spots.
R S Chib also highlighted the endeavours of the Government for promotion of tourism in the region.
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