Early Times Report
JAMMU, July 27: Even as over 1.5 crore tourists have visited Jammu and Kashmir in the first six months of 2022 alone, where has the "huge money minted" by the valley as its "lion's share" gone? This question is doing the rounds in the security circles.
While as the observers say that Kashmir has witnessed overwhelming spike in footfall of tourists as compared to Jammu, which mainly banks on the religious tourism in the form of pilgrimage to Shri Mata Vaishnu Devi shrine, the valley is being seen as the "main beneficiary of the economic boost."
But what has raised some questions is that while the administration has not fixed rates for hotel tariff and "related deals", the crores of rupees which have been minted, as per the security analysts, need "special audit."
"Despite the overwhelming tourist influx which is making government ask people to opt for homestay options to earn more, most of the people continue to complain of financial constraints even to manage two square meals a day… So where is the big money coming in from tourism going because even a boatman is earning thousands per day is what one learns," said a retired official on the condition of anonymity.
He said for the place like Kashmir which has been on the radar for alleged money laundering and misuse of the financial resources to keep the pot of "anti-national activities boiling in the past", there "should be a regular audit."
Security analysts said the government should come up with a strategy to keep track of the "big money coming into Kashmir."
Several former officials of the Indian Army are of the same opinion that the "circulation of money in Kashmir needs to be kept track of for the larger interest of nation lest it falls into wrong hands."
Pertinently, the Union Minister for Tourism, G K Reddy on July 25 said that 1.05 crore tourists have visited Jammu and Kashmir in the first six months of the year 2022.
Replying to a query by Mala Roy in Lok Sabha, the Union Minister, said that tourism sector in J&K is one of the core sectors of economy.
"As a result of the initiatives taken by the J&K Government in private as well as Government sectors there has been a significant hike in the tourist footfall despite of the Covid challenges," he said.
In the year 2020, he said, the tourist footfall was 41267, which has increased to 1.05 crores during the first six months (January-June) of the calendar year 2022.
He said that J&K has seen tourist flow in all the seasons during the period and that too high-end tourists, who have a good experience of quality services. |
