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| Despite being no firing zone for 6 years now Tosa Maidan not developed as tourist destination | | | Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Feb 28: In 2014 the then government of erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir headed by Omar Abdullah closed the artillery firing range at the famous meadow of Tosa Maidan in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district with the hope that things would change for better.
Following this it was promised that the area would be developed so that it comes up as a world class tourist destination. Six years down the line no significant progress has been made in this regard with Tosa Maidan yet to be developed as a local tourist spot, not to talk of world class tourist destination.
A group of locals told Early Times that the government at that time had announced that not only Tosa Maidan, but the adjoining villages would also be developed. However, as on date very little progress has been made with Tosa Maidan and the nearby villages craving for even the basic amenities.
“The road right from Budgam to Tosa Maidan is in a dilapidated condition with ditches and potholes making their presence felt. Although, some portion of the road has been developed, but major portion presents a sorry state of affairs. The previous governments have failed people and there is hope with the present dispensation,” said the locals.
The locals said that National Conference (NC)-Congress and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) governments did very little to develop Tosa Maidan as a first class tourist destination. They said that mere promises were made by the people at helm with nothing being done on the ground.
“The development of Tosa Maidan would have added yet another dimension to the tourism map of Jammu & Kashmir. People would have loved to visit this place again and again if the necessary infrastructure was in place. Tosa Maidan could have easily been added to the itinerary of the tourists visiting Kashmir but for that the necessary facilities should have been put in place,” said the locals.
The locals said that a basic amenity of life such as electricity is missing on the ground in the villages falling close to Tosa Maidan adding that life of people living near the meadow is miserable. They said that power supply is limited to few hours in the villages leading up to Tosa Maidan.
“Electricity is a basic thing and it should be available round the clock at a tourist place. The power usually remains off in the villages lying adjacent to Tosa Maidan. Given this scenario how can you expect that Tosa Maidan would come up as a world class tourist destination?” said the locals.
The locals sad the present dispensation headed by Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu should take immediate steps so that the life of people living in and around Tosa Maidan gets improved. They said that once this is done then the meadow should be developed as a world class tourist destination and the people visiting the place feel the difference. |
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