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| View points, cafeterias to dot road to Katra | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu/Katra, Feb 12: To boost the tourism potential of Jammu region by diverting pilgrims to nearby locales, the government is about make a creative beginning –the road between Jammu and Katra will soon get wayside cafeterias, viewpoints and facilities.
This was decided today after Tourism Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora visited the holy township of Katra along with officers of his department. On a daily average 10,000 pilgrims visit the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi and the Minister says that he wants to create facilities so that the pilgrims prolong their stay leading to economic spin-offs for other people in the region.
Rigzin said that Government will upgrade infrastructure at pilgrim sites across the State to provide added facilities to the pilgrim-tourists visiting the State. He also announced that the Amarnath Yatra registration counter at Katra will be reopened shortly.
The Minister said this while visiting Katra to take an on-the-spot assessment of the facilities being provided to the Mata Vaishno Devi yatris. He also visited various other potential tourist spots en route Jammu city and issued instructions for constructions of more viewpoints on National Highway waysides. On Katra-Domail Road, Mr. Jora ordered construction of viewpoints and bathrooms.
The Minister said a tourist plaza at a cost of Rs. 11.20 crore would be constructed here for providing added facilities to the yatris. He said a project has been submitted to the Central government for release of funds in this regard. The plaza will have facilities like Tourist Reception Centre, Telecommunications Centre, besides three restaurants and 24 rooms.
The Director informed the Minister that since the beginning of the calendar year, 5.19 lakh pilgrims had darshan of Mata Vaishno Devi, which is 1.09 lakh more with the corresponding figures last year. He said that near-about 10,000 devotees are coming to the holy shrine daily for darshan.
In his interaction with the representatives of Hotel, Restaurant, Tour & Travel Associations here, Mr. Jora said that keeping in view the vitality of the tourism sector to the economy of the State, it was necessary that all resources are pooled in to promote this sector. A memorandum was presented by the President, Hotel and Restaurant Association, Katra, Mr. Sham Lal Kessar, demanding uninterrupted power supply, potable water, exemption of service tax, compensation of losses incurred during Amarnath agitation and posting of Deputy Director, Tourism at Katra. He assured the tour and travel operators that their demands would be looked into.
Giving details about the infrastructure expansion programme, the Minister said the Government is going to create more tourist cafeterias at Mansar, Nandini, Batote, Ramban, Banihal, Qazigund and Sonamarg with an estimated cost of Rs. 2.63 crore. He said in Kashmir valley, additional accommodation at known tourist spots like Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Yusmarg and Gulmarg at a cost of Rs. 20.30 crore would be constructed while as a Convention Centre at Leh would be constructed at a cost of Rs. 15 crore, which will have all facilities like restaurants, Tourist Information and Communication Centres and accommodation facilities for the tourists.
The Minister also inspected TRCs of JKTDC in Katra and took stock of the functioning of these centres. He was informed that renovation of 16 rooms has been completed at a cost of Rs. 30 lakh at TRC Katra while as Rs. 20 lakh are being spent on the renovation of 10 other rooms. He was also apprised that JKTDC has earned a revenue of Rs. 95 lakh during the current financial year. The Minister also visited various TRC counters established for facilitation of tourists here.
The Minister was accompanied by Managing Director, JKTDC, Mr. Rafiq Qadri, Director, Tourism, Jammu, Mr. S. M. Sahai, General Manager, JKTDC, Mr. Shiv Kumar, Executive Engineer, Tourism Department, Mr. Riyaz Ahmad and other civil and police officers of the area.
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