Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 28: The ‘ambitious’ project to develop tourist villages in all the 20 districts of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir goes haywire due to the casual approach of those at the helm of the affairs.
To boost tourism in J&K, a comprehensive project was approved to develop tourist villages in each district of J&K to tap tourism potential in unexplored areas.
According to official documents, 50 villages, across J&K were identified for development as tourist villages under Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme (PMRP) through the rural tourism scheme of the Ministry of Tourism of the Union Government.
The aim of this project was to generate employment for the people at their door steps by attracting tourists from different parts to improve the economic conditions of the villagers.
With a promise to continue the flow of the funds to complete this comprehensive project, the first installment of an amount worth Rs 23.71 crore was released by the Union Government.
Highly placed sources said that after the first installment, Centre has de-liked the scheme and stopped funding as successive governments have failed to product utilization certificates of the amount.
Sources said that the ambitious project was stopped due to slackness and casual approach adopted by the authorities.
“Not only the successive state governments failed to product UCs but local authorities have not prepared progress reports of developmental activities in the villages identified as tourism villages”, a source said.
As per the document in the Jammu region villages with religious importance namely Jhiri, Agar Jitto, Mata Bala Sundri, Mangla Mata, Dalsar, Pingla Mata, Datay Da Talab, Dera Baba Banda, Krimichi were identified for development as tourism villages. |
