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| JK admin concerned about tourists, locals can wait | | Kaar Khaan Nu Ne, Amma Peen Gai Hai! | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 17: Even as the government’s priority is supposed to be the welfare of the local inhabitants, the administration in Jammu and Kashmir seems be more concerned about the tourists.
The administration has issued special orders that the tourists should not face any inconvenience in the wake of spike in Covid cases and subsequent weekend restrictions of weekend lockdown. Ironically no such orders were issued for the convenience of the locals.
On January 15, with the return of weekend lockdown in Jammu and Kashmir in view of a spike in COVID cases, Tourism department Kashmir has sought hassle-free travel of tourists on weekends so that there is no negative impact on the tourism sector.
Director Tourism, Kashmir, G N Itoo in a letter to Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has sought hassle-free movement of tourists during the weekend lockdown.
“The latest weekend lockdown is likely to cause difficulties to tourists who have already arrived in the Valley and are following a pre-planned itinerary. They have bookings at the respective tourist destinations. Some of the tourists may also be arriving during the lockdown period in future,” the Director Tourism said as per official documents.
Ironically, no such orders were issued for the convenience of the locals.
Officials in the Civil Secretariat said that such “controversial orders have been issued for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir that issues of the locals have been put the backburner.”
He said what was even shocking that to promote tourism, the government was risking precious human lives.
Recently over 50 cases of Covid were reported from the ski resort of Gulmarg alone, which is getting the major chunk of tourists. “Instead of discouraging the tourists from venturing into a Covid hotspot, the guests are being pushed to risk of Covid,” said a senior official said on the condition of anonymity.
It was reliably learnt that a senior official close to Raj Bhawan was behind the idea of “giving priority to tourists.”
“Basically this administration wants to give a rosy picture of the state of affairs before New Delhi only to divert focus from rising corruption and mis-governance and they use Tourism as a tool to meet their ulterior motives. New Delhi should send a team to know reality of governance in Jammu and Kashmir where people are suffering unheard,” said the senior official. |
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