Early Times Report
JAMMU, Apr 29: The BJP has been claiming since March 1, 2015 that it was for the first time that Jammu province got its due share in all sectors and that the Coalition government treated all the three regions equally. The claim appears spurious. The fact of the matter is that Jammu region continues to get crumbs and the Valley continues to get a lion's share and preferential and differential treatment under the present dispensation.
The claim of the BJP that the coalition Government had treated Jammu province and Kashmir Valley equally is spurious could be seen from the funds the Government allocated to the Tourism Development Authorities in the Valley and Jammu. Just look at the State Sector Capex Budget for the financial year 2015-16 and you will find the difference and the extent to which the already rather developed Kashmir was preferred.
Believe it or not, but it is a fact that while Jammu got only Rs 872.75 lakh under Regular Schemes as far as development of tourism in the region was concerned, Kashmir got Rs 2224.75 lakh - huge difference of Rs 1342 lakh. In other words, the share of Kashmir and Jammu was almost 66 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively, and this despite the fact that Jammu region is two-time bigger than Kashmir and has inadequate infrastructure.
It needs to be underlined that while Patnitop Development Authority (Jammu) got an amount of Rs 262 lakh, Pahalgam Development Authority (Kashmir) got an amount of Rs 450 lakh under the State Sector Capex Budget. Similarly, while Gulmarg Development Authority, Sonamarg Development Authority and Kokernag Development Authority (Kashmir) got an amount of Rs 326.25 lakh, Rs 300 lakh and Rs 225 lakh, respectively, Surinsar-Mansar Development Authority, which was established to create facilities for the tourists visiting these two important lakes of Jammu, got Rs 140 lakh and the Tourism Development Authorities of Bhaderwah, Rajouri, Kishtwar, Poonch and Lakhanpur-Sarthal (Jammu) got only Rs 110 lakh each.
Likewise, while an amount of Rs 200 lakh was earmarked for Yousmarg Development Authority, Rs 110 lakh for Aharbal Development Authority, Rs 145 lakh for Manasbal Development Authority, Rs 180 lakh for Verinag Development Authority and Rs 150 lakh for Doodhpathri Development Authority (all in Kashmir), Zanaskar Development Authority got Rs 145 lakh and the Development Authorities of Leh and Kargil got only Rs 110 lakh each.
The PDP-BJP coalition Government also treated golf courses located in Kashmir and Jammu differently. For example, while the Royal Springs Golf Course (Kashmir) got an amount of Rs 225 lakh under the State Sector Capex Budget, the Jammu Tawi Golf Course got an amount of only Rs 145 lakh.
All this should call the BJP's bluff and establish that the plight of Jammu has remained unchanged under the present rule. It was CM Mehbooba Mufti who only recently acknowledged that Jammu lacked tourism facilities.
Speaking to reporters during her whirlwind tour of border areas of Suchetgarh and Chamliyal, besides several other places of tourist destination and heritage importance in Jammu, she had said that Jammu lacked in tourist facilities and assured the people of Jammu that her "Government was determined to give boost to it as there are many places like Mubarak Mandi, Suchetgarh, Chamliyal etc, which were of historical and religious importance. Interestingly, she made these statements in the presence of BJP Ministers, who accompanied her during this tour. |
