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| Tourism Directorate Jammu fails to utilize funds under GoI scheme; surrenders Rs 1.25 cr | | Kashmir registers 100 percent utilization | | Shiv Thakur
Jammu, June 13: Tall claims of Tourism Department about their achievements in generating employment in tourism sector for the youth of the state have fall flat as the money released under the Government of India (GoI) sponsored schemes is lying unutilized owing to the failure of officials in Jammu and hence the funds are being surrendered.
Director Tourism, Soujanya Sharma, when contacted about a similar scheme namely 'Hunar se Rozgar' failed to reason out his inability to utilize about Rs 1.25 Cr under the same scheme whereas his counterpart Director Tourism Kashmir, Talat Parveez said, "the money under similar scheme had been received and the same has been distributed to the entrepreneurs in Kashmir".
According to learned sources, Ministry of Tourism Government of India (GoI) offered sponsored courses under Hunar-se-rozgar scheme for J&K in which 6 Private institutions from J&K, 3 from Jammu province and 3 from Kashmir Province were short listed respectively.
It was further learnt that the Private Institutions disbursed money in lakhs from their accounts in establishing infrastructure for this programme and it took five months in Jammu Province to start the same. Sources also claimed that the process went smooth in Kashmir province and the Private Institutions of both the provinces which were supposed to get grant-in-aid in advance were deprived of such facility and were made to run their institutions without advance payment, enhancing the burden over them. The programme in Kashmir province was taken up well by the Director Tourism Kashmir but the same hangs in balance due to the lethargy of Tourism Department Jammu.
Sources further alleged that the documentary proofs of the registration of these Jammu based institutions were not sent to Ministry of Tourism, GoI by the Director Tourism Jammu. Sources also said that even after 3 years of existence, the destiny of these institutions is still undecided as the Tourism Department is withholding the decision to run or close these institutions. The sources added: "The Payment of these Jammu based institutions is not being released till now whereas the institutions from Kashmir Province have no pending payments. These institutions that have spent lakhs of rupees on establishing infrastructure, engaging faculties and getting buildings on rent basis have been deprived of their legitimate dues."
A close source who wished anonymity said despite the assurances of the Minister Tourism G.A. Mir to these entrepreneurs, Director Tourism Jammu did not bother to release the payment and preferred to surrender rupees one crore twenty five lacs out of which other payments were also supposed to be made.
Director Tourism Jammu Soujanya Sharma when contacted said that Government of India has closed this Scheme last year and no such Private institution is running or established by Government either in Kashmir or in Jammu. He also said that Government has not given any fund to Tourism department owing to the closure of scheme and "There are only two institutions running in J&K by Tourism department namely IHM in Kashmir while FCI in Jammu and both are Government institutes", he added.
Whereas Director Tourism Kashmir Talat Parvez said that the Scheme is still running and all the payments have been given to the private institutions in Kashmir. |
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