Though Jammu region has never been meted out just and equitable treatment by the State Government which is reflected in the resentment shown by the people, it seems that Government after Government is determined not to do away with discrimination. We will focus on only tourism here and not speak of other departments. There are some fundamental realities that have to be taken into account when budgetary allocations are made to the three regions for developing tourism. The first is that Kashmir is gifted with considerable natural beauty and moderate climate as compared to other two regions of the State. During the British Indian Raj, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Yusmarg were developed because the British rulers used to spend their summer months here. At that time neither Jammu nor Ladakh figured on the tourist map of the State. After independence, the concept lingered with authorities that Kashmir was the only region that would attract tourist and hence they paid only scant rather no attention to other two regions. Thus for decades, Kashmir tourism became the biggest beneficiary of State’s budgetary allocations and not only the traditional destination but some more were developed to a very satisfactory level. After realizing that other two regions too could become a source of income, the State Government began showing some interest in Jammu and Ladakh regions. But the way tourism in these two regions could be developed to make them contributive to state’s economy was not adopted and step motherly treatment with both of them began to be given. This betrayed the symptoms of parochialism and regionalism.
A casual look at the scale of funds earmarked for the three regions of the State in the tourism sector during the State Sector Capex Budget for the financial year 2015-16 will reveal how the regions of Jammu and Ladakh are treated very niggardly. Jammu and Ladakh tourism need adequate funding for raising the infrastructure which has long been provided to Kashmir region. But this makes little sense with the prejudiced authorities. Under State Sector Capex Budget Kashmir tourism gets 2224.75 lakh rupees, Jammu tourism gets 872.75 lakh rupees and in Ladakh Zanskar Tourism Authority gets 145 lakh rupees while Leh and Kargil get 110 lakh rupees each. These figures are self-explanatory. If Zanskar Authority, which has come on the tourist map only recently, gets 145 lakh rupees, what rationale is there to allot only 110 lakh rupees each for Leh and Kargil tourism authority? What rational is there to allocate Jammu region just one third of the total allocation made to Kashmir.
This is not at all a healthy way of developing tourist destinations in the State on equitable plane. There is absolutely no justification for the claim that justice and equitable treatment are meted out to all the three regions in terms of development of tourism. We are not talking of other facets of development and we are confident if a comparative study is conducted, the result will be very disappointing and depressing. There is the need of overhauling the fundamental approach to the development of tourism in Jammu and Ladakh. For certain, one can say that if tourism is developed in Ladakh in a right manner, it will steal the march over other two regions of the State because of its pristine purity and indigenous culture. But unfortunately each facet of our life is conditioned by politics and prejudices.
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