‘Keep airfares during peak season under reasonable limits’
*Press helicopters into service for lesser known destinations
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 7: The Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee has laid stress on early introduction of tourist trains to Jammu and Kashmir from various metro cities of the country and speedy roll out of Vista Dome coaches so as to give fillip to the tourism in this Union Territory.
Moreover, it has recommended keeping the airfares for J&K during the peak tourist season under reasonable limit and pressing helicopters into service for lesser known destinations like Kishtwar to facilitate the tourists and bring such places on tourism map of the country.
In its 270th report on development of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, the Parliamentary Panel had observed that domestic tourists are primarily train-friendly and prefer to travel by trains due to better connectivity and affordability. Accordingly, it had recommended that tourist trains may be introduced to J&K from various metro cities of the country.
The Parliamentary Panel had further recommended that the Union Ministry of Tourism must coordinate with the Ministry of Railways to facilitate speedy completion of the Vista Dome coaches as with glass tops these would be a wonderful addition to the railway services in J&K by giving its passengers a 360 degree view of the surroundings.
In response to these recommendations, the Ministry of Tourism has conveyed to the Parliamentary Panel that it has written a letter to the Railways Minister for introduction of tourist trains to J&K from various parts of the country along with speedy rolling out of Vista Dome coaches fully funded by Ministry of Tourism.
In its latest report tabled in the Parliament recently, the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee has exhorted the Tourism Ministry to purse with renewed vigour these matters with the Ministry of Railways in order to give fillip to tourism in J&K.
“During peak seasons when tourists visit J&K and Ladakh in large number, destination focused trains and special trains with reasonable fares should be introduced in order to accommodate more and more passengers comfortably”, the Parliamentary Panel has stressed.
It is pertinent to mention here that Ministry of Tourism provided financial assistance to the tune of Rs 12 crore at the rate of Rs 4 crore per coach to the Ministry of Railways for the manufacture of three glass top coaches. One glass top coach has been planned for Budgam to Banihal and Baramulla to Srinagar routes.
The Vista Dome coach boasts of a glass roof which has electrically controlled opalescence—it can be made transparent or opaque at the turn of a switch-360 degree rotatable, pushback chairs and automatic shading compartment doors.
Moreover, the Parliamentary Panel has felt that J&K being a major tourist attraction, there is an urgent need to keep the airfares during the peak season under reasonable limit.
“The air travel in the country is subject to multiple levies which undermine the competitiveness of Indian destinations. Additionally, there is lack of transparency in collection of levies and they vary across the airlines operating in the country”, the panel said, adding “the Tourism Ministry in close coordination with Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Finance must address the issue of multiple taxes on air travel so that tax on air travel is lowered and the air fares are kept under reasonable limits”.
“Giving the mountainous terrain and the frequency of landslides in J&K, helicopters should be pressed into service for lesser known destinations like Gurez, Bangus, Kishtwar and Kargil for tourist facilitation”, the Parliamentary Panel has further stressed, adding “UDAN scheme should also be devised in such a manner so as to connect Jammu and Srinagar with other major cities especially in the peak tourist season”.
The Parliamentary Panel has again impressed upon the Tourism Ministry to identify tourist destinations of J&K particularly backward and border pilgrim towns for improvement of road network, installation of night vision safety markers and signages in close coordination with Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and concerned agencies of J&K.
The panel has further recommended that in order to provide safety against accidents to the tourist vehicles mobile ambulances should be made available with a facility to provide immediate first aid to injured tourists on the spot and carry them later to the nearest hospital for further treatment.
“A toll-free helpline number can also be launched in J&K to call such ambulances at the spot of accident within few minutes”, the Parliamentary Panel has suggested.
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