Early Times Report
Jammu, June 19: Visit of Divisional Commissioner Jammu has revived hope of the development of Suchetgarh border post as a tourist spot as successive regimes have done nothing except promises to develop tourist destination.
It is widely alleged that successive political governments ignored potential tourist spots of Jammu province but during the three years central rule in J&K no step has been taken to explore tourism potential in Jammu also. Since 2002 after the formation of the PDP-BJP government, every regime had promised to develop Suchetgarh border post on the pattern of Wagah border, but these promises remained only on papers-reasons best known to those who was at the helm of the affairs. After the central rule was implemented in J&K in the the year 2018, there was a ray of hope among residents of Jammu that decades-old discrimination will be ended but all hopes of the nationalist people were dashed because nothing has been changed on the ground.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Dr. Raghav Langer on Tuesday conducted an extensive tour of Suchetgarh, Gharana wetland circuit and assessed the development of facilities at these potential sites for the tourists.
During the tour to the border outpost, the Div Com directed the tourism Department to create additional facilities to attract maximum footfall of tourists to Suchetgarh.
He took a round of the border outpost and inspected many utilities including, gallery, canteen, park, pond area and assessed the required development of facilities for the visitors.
He also issued slew of instructions to promote Suchetgarh as a border tourist destination and directed for extension of parks for the visitors, development of pond, installation of lights, benches, cafeteria, blacktopping of roads etc. He also instructed the BSF authorities for construction of vertical sitting space for the audience for watching retreat ceremonies on the pattern of Wagah Border.
Interestingly it was further informed that Detailed Project Report has also been prepared by Tourism Department for additional works including construction of Museum, Development of Pond/ water bodies, construction of breast wall on the bund, ornamental grills around the pond, ornamental footbridge over the pond, musical fountain over the pond, façade lightings, Grand Entry gate, up-gradation of parking, construction of RCC drain, etc.
The Div Com directed the officers of the Tourism Department to pursue the DPR to promote border tourism on the pattern of Wagah Border. |
