Mohinder Verma
JAMMU: Notwithstanding the fact that tourism sector is key to boost economy of the Jammu and Kashmir, the much-talked about Vision Document for tourism promotion prepared by the previous PDP-BJP dispensation is gathering dust in the official files of the Civil Secretariat as the same has not been made public till date by those at the helm of affairs in the Tourism Department.
The announcement about Vision Document was made on the floor of State Legislative Assembly twice during the last Budget Session. First by the then Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Nabi Lone, while replying to a question of MLA Ramnagar, Ranbir Singh Pathania on behalf of then Minister Incharge Tourism and by the then Minister Incharge Tourism himself in a written reply to the question of another Legislator.
In both replies, it was categorically stated that Govern-ment was in the process of preparing a Vision Document to tap the tourism potential of unexplored areas. The former Minister Incharge Tourism even went to the extent of mentioning that Tata Management Consu-ltancy Service has been engaged for the task and document would be made public very shortly.
Though the Vision Docum-ent was prepared and submitted by the Tata Management Consultancy Service to the Tourism Department within the stipulated time-frame, the same could not be made public because of slackness on the part of those at the helm of affairs in the department. What to talk of making all the stakeholders aware of this document, the Tourism Department even failed to place the same before the State Cabinet, whose approval was imperative for implementation.
“All I can say is that Vision Document has been prepared but I am not in a position to share its details as the same is lying with the Tourism Secretary”, a senior officer of the Tourism Department said on the condition of anonymity. This makes amply clear that the Vision Document was prepared only for gathering dust in the official files. In this way, the Tourism Department has adopted half-hearted approach towards the announcement made on the floor of the House.
Despite repeated phone calls to ascertain the broad contours of the Vision Document, the Secretary Tourism Department, Farooq Ahmed Shah didn’t respond. Due to confining of the Vision Document to the official files, the objective behind its formulation has remained unachieved till date.
How many new areas have actually been brought on the tourism map of the State? How much infrastructure development has taken place in the existing tourist places particularly in Jammu region? How many new areas have been opened for visit by tourists in Ladakh region and what results the repeated road-shows organized by the Tourism Department in different parts of the country during the current financial year have yielded are the moot questions before those at the helm of affairs in the Tourism Department, which otherwise makes lofty slogans about concentrating on tourism promotion in all the three regions of Jammu and Kashmir.
While describing tourism as the backbone of the State’s economy, it was stated by the then Government on the floor of House that process of developing Jammu as independent tourist destination has already begun. However, what progress has been made in this regard is known to everybody as almost all the projects aimed at making Jammu as independent tourist destination continue to move at either snail’s place or yet to take off.
The fate of artificial lake on River Tawi at Jammu, aerial ropeways of Jammu and Patnitop and flower garden at Bhour Camp in the outskirts of Jammu city is a big question mark on the plans of tourism promotion activities in Jammu. No major tourism related infrastructure has come up in Patnitop, Jai-Bhaderwah, Baglihar Dam catchment area, Sanasar and Mantalai during the current year so far and this is testimony of inadequate attention of top echelons of the Tourism Department towards tourism promotion in Jammu region.
The development of Raghunath Bazar up to Dewana Mandir was also part of Jammu as independent tourist destination. But this plan has fallen victim to the lack of coordination between different departments and even Detailed Project Report has not been formulated till date despite the fact that issue also figured during the District Development Board meeting of Jammu.
Not only during the Budget Session but thereafter on numerous occasions it was officially stated that Mantalai will come up as an International Yoga Centre and numerous projects would be started in Patnitop area for tourism promotion activities. It was also stated that Centre will be approached for construction of Leh-Kailash-Mansarovar Road for boosting tourism in the Ladakh region. But there is no substantial progress on these announcements.
According to the information available with EXCELSIOR, all the major projects conceived for tourism promotion in different parts of State particularly in Jammu and Ladakh regions are still at the stage of preparation of documents and nobody knows when the Detailed Project Reports would be furnished to the concerned authorities of Union Government for approval and funding.
All this clearly indicates that whatever was announced during the Budget Session has remained confined to the official files and no time-frame can be specified for the announcements to become reality due to casual approach of those at the helm of affairs in this department in Civil Secretariat.
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