Akshay Azad
Early Times Report
jammu, Aug 26: Notwithstanding the repeated announcements by Chief Minister for promoting Tourism industry, the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism department took four years to renew license of an agent of Adventure Tourism, who has been moving from pillar to post for the last four years to renewal.
An adventure Tourism agent, Gurjeet Singh who is promoting Rafting in river Chenab in district Reasi informed Early Times that his license of Rafting and registration of Excursion Agent had expired on December 31, 2011 and he had applied for renewal of both on December 29, 2011.
"In the last nearly four year, I have been moving from pillar to post in the office of Assistant Director Tourism Katra and Directorate of Tourism Jammu for renewal, but to no avail", he claimed, adding that he had taken some equipments from Tourism department, which were thrown into river Chenab by a group of youth from Jammu, after assaulting the Raft guide and other crew.
He further said that even the then Senior Superintendent of Police Reasi had forwarded a letter, maintaining that Raft owners had no fault. "After submission of application of SSP Reasi, I also submitted the new equipments, after purchasing from market. Despite then, a recovery of Rs. 65000 was charged from me", he said.
Gurjeet Singh further claimed that the callousness on part of Tourism office Katra could be gauged from fact that most of time, none was available in the office. "On one hand, the Tourism department had been harassing by denying renewal of License, on the other under patronage of a senior police officer, a person from Bhaderwah has started Rafting in the same area, without having any license or Rafting guide license", he said.
He further said that though a case under section 156, 420, 507, 506 stood registered under FIR number 138/2014 against the same person, but he has been doing the business illegally. "Instead of cooperating in Tourism promotion, a senior police officer has been harassing me, only to promote the other illegal Rafter, as latter is in close relation to him", Gurjeet claimed.
Assistant Director Tourism Ashima Sher said that when she had joined, recovery was pending against Gurjeet Singh, which was also mentioned in the Audit report. "Few days back he had paid the recovery money and registration certificate has been issued by this office", She said, adding that renewal of license was done by Directorate office.
Director Tourism Jammu, RK Verma said that as per his information recovery was pending and if the recovery has been cleared, the license would be renewed shortly. |
