State official circles hold tourism as the mainstay of state economy. Nobody knows the volume of income from this source. Tourism Department usually boasts of steady increase in the number of tourists coming to the State. The numbers include home tourists as well as foreigners. There is no second word about the importance of tourism to the State. Its promotion would naturally be welcome to one and all.
But the pilferage happening in the department is less talked about. All that we hear is what is being demanded to streamline the department. But what is amiss in the department is hardly brought to light. A number of questions were put to the Tourism Minister in the assembly in regard to various aspects of State tourism. A question which put the minister in somewhat embarrassing situation was about the prestigious huts in Cheshmashahi locality in Srinagar. Many Government officers are in occupation of the JKTDC huts in Cheshmashahi since many years and they have not been vacated. Unable to give convincing answer to the question as to how many huts had been got vacated and what action was taken in view of influx of tourists, the Minister, Ghulam Ahmad Mir spoke about the occupation or vacation of Government huts in Cheshmashahi in the course of Durbar move. Evidently he had no figures available in regard to the question of state officials occupying the huts for several years and the JKTDC unable to get the huts vacated.
Cheshmashahi huts are most prestigious huts we have under the care of the JKTDC. Their significance is owing to the attractive environment in which these huts are set. Obviously, the huts are meant for the tourists who are advised to book them in advance. In particular, foreign tourists enjoy their short stay in these huts and recommend them to others as well. Why should the JKTDC allow these huts to be used by the Government officials since these are not meant for them? By giving the huts to the officials, the JKTDC is overtly denying the department the big rental income and thus a loss is put to the state exchequer. It is illegal activity and has to be dealt with accordingly. Obviously, it is a grave matter of nepotism. Concerned authorities want to please some Government officials and their kith and kin by providing them the huts in question. In some cases it is known that the occupants being influential persons give their private houses on rent while themselves they occupy the Government huts. Thus they draw benefits from more than one way. The Minister in his reply admitted that some of the occupants were not eligible and had not vacated the huts. But he added that his ministry would look into the matter and take appropriate action.
This is a sad commentary on the performance of the Tourist Department. The problem is of nepotism and favouritism in the State. Everybody wants to oblige an influential official or public functionary but at the cost of public exchequer. More often than not, JKTDC functionaries are subjected to pressure from higher ups in the bureaucratic echelons to violate the rules and allow illegal favours to some persons. Nepotism must come to an end, and especially of the type we have stated because it is directly a loss to the state exchequer. Many changes need to be brought in before believing that our tourist department has come to the level of international standards.
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