Raja Syed Rather
Srinagar, Aug 10 :
The Union Ministry of Tourism has informed the Lok Sabha that no proposal for development of tourism infrastructure in Baramulla, Kupwara, Budgam and Bandipora districts of Jammu and Kashmir is currently under consideration.
Union Minister of Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat stated this in a written reply to Lok Sabha regarding development of tourism in Kashmir.
As per the reply, accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), development and promotion of tourist destinations and tourism products, including eco-tourism destinations, is primarily undertaken by the concerned State Government or Union Territory Administration.
The Ministry, however, complements the efforts of the UT Administration through schemes including Swadesh Darshan (SD), Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0), Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD)—a sub-scheme of SD2.0—and Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD).
Financial assistance under these schemes is extended subject to adherence to scheme guidelines, submission of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), availability of funds, government directions and inter-se priority, among other conditions.
The Ministry said sanctioning of new projects under these schemes is a continuous process. However, at present, no proposal for development of tourism infrastructure in Baramulla, Kupwara, Budgam and Bandipora districts of J&K is under consideration in the Ministry of Tourism.
The reply also listed projects sanctioned earlier under the Swadesh Darshan scheme in Jammu and Kashmir.
These include the Jammu-Srinagar-Pahalgam-Bhagwati Nagar-Anantnag-Salamabad-Uri-Kargil-Leh project sanctioned in 2016-17 at a cost of Rs 77.33 crore; tourist facilities at Jammu-Rajouri-Shopian-Pulwama at Rs 81.60 crore; and construction of assets in lieu of those destroyed in the 2014 floods under the PM Development Package at Rs 90.43 crore.
Other sanctioned projects include tourist facilities at Mantalai and Sudh Mahadev at Rs 91.99 crore, tourist facilities covering Anantnag-Pulwama-Kishtwar-Pahalgam-Zanskar Padum-Daksum-Ranjit Sagar Dam at Rs 86.39 crore, and tourist facilities along Gulmarg-Baramulla-Kupwara-Kargil-Leh at Rs 96.75 crore.
Under the PRASHAD scheme, the Ministry has also sanctioned Rs 40.46 crore for development at Hazratbal Shrine, Srinagar, in 2016-17.
The Ministry further stated that Swadesh Darshan 2.0 has been revamped with the objective of developing sustainable and responsible tourism destinations through a destination and tourist-centric approach—(KNO)