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| JU’s tourism institute in limbo | | | SANT KUMAR SHARMA
Jammu, Sept 18: Several months ago, the Union tourism ministry sanctioned Rs 10 crore for setting up an institute of hospitality and tourism management. If and when set up, the institute would train students in tourism-related subjects.
When Jammu Univeristy was intimated regarding the sanction of the huge amount, there was jubilation among the ranks. However, despondency has started to set in now because of lack of progress on the issue.
The institute was to be set up in Chenani-Kud area of the Udhampur district. The area was selected because of its salubrious climate. Also, because the university authorities have been wanting to set up outreach compuses in hitherto neglected and educationally-backward areas.
Incidentally, years ago, there was a plan to set up a university in this area by getting funds provided by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB). The university was to be set up near Mantalai but the idea was aborted later.
Despite getting intimation regarding the sanction of this money, Jammu University has not been able to make any headway on ground.
Presently, there is a huge demand in the local market for people trained in tourism-related subjects. However, Jammu University, or for that matter other universities in the region, do not have training or course facilities in allied subjects.
Given this scenario, students desirous of joining hotels, or the hospitality and tourism industry, have to go for training to far-off places like NOIDA, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
According to sources in the university, the land for setting up the institute has also been identified. However, the acquisition of the land can only take place once a committee has been constituted for this purpose.
The committee has to be convened by the Governor, Mr N N Vohra, in his capacity as the Chancellor of the university. However, it has not been convened as yet though university has been pursuing the matter with the Raj Bhavan.
The worst case scenario is that if the committee is not convened soon, the tourism ministry may cancel the sanction for the money and it may lapse.
Sources said the proposal for the institute is not getting the requisite support from the finance ministry of the state. This has happened, they surmised, because reports of bunglings in the Shere Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST-Jammu) have come to the light recently.
This is one reason why the Finance Minister, Mr A R Rather, is keen to vet the sanctions pertaining to any projects relating to Jammu University, thoroughly, they added.
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