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| NRI feels heat of Govt's tall but phony claims about tourism promotion at Surinsar | | | Kunal Shrivatsa
jammu, July 28: Thanks to the official red-tapeism and lack of thoughtfulness, several places in Jammu region having tourism potential still lack basic infrastructure to cater to the various needs of the tourists and the tall claims turned phony and airy only when a NRI found the things contrary to the Government claims at picturesque lake Surinsar in Samba district.
Narrating personal experiences at Surinsar village, famous for its fresh water lake spanning over an area of 2.5 sq km is one such tourist resort in Jammu Division reflecting a grim picture of constant negligence at the hands of authorities concerned.
Going by the 'horrific experience' of a Jammu based tourist -who recently visited Surinsar along with his family, it would not be inappropriate to say that one should think twice before embarking for a journey to this picturesque, however, 'ignored' location.
While narrating his tale of woes to Early Times, the 'aggrieved' visitor Vijay Gupta said that spots like Surinsar are undoubtedly a treat for the visitors, however, the lack of amenities like facility of lodging is proving out to be a big impediment in popularizing the place.
"Recently my son and daughter who had come from United States of America desired to visit Surinsar and planned to stay there…. I along with my family reached Surinsar and came to know that there were four Government Dak Bungalows belonging to Tourism, Forest, PWD and PHE departments in the area," Gupta said.
"It all began when I went around one after another rest house and found out that all these accommodations are meant only for the officers of the concerned departments and not for general public. At least we should have been allotted a room in Tourism Dak Bungalow which had 7-8 rooms but here also the officials on duty denied us the permission to stay," he added.
It is ironical that the Tourism Department misses no opportunity in making announcements through print and electronic media to visit Surinsar but the lack of lodging facilities at a place which is being widely propagated is indeed a sorry state of affairs.
Tourist spots like Surinsar have vast tourism potential and are literally yearning for their promotion to be on the tourist map of the State and to attract visitors on regular basis but the official apathy remains a big obstacle in developing these spots to be people friendly to the fullest.
Gupta further said, "It was really a traumatic experience for me and my family as we could not find a room in any of the Dak Bungalows due to which we had to leave the place with a sense of disappointment and heavy heart."
"If one can not stay at sites like Surinsar then why the Tourism department and other Government agencies make wide spread appeals to the public to visit such places…. I just want to ask the authorities that where will the tourists stay in Surinsar where no Government accommodation is meant for a common man," he added.
With such a non-serious and unprofessional approach of the Government, the regular official propaganda to develop Surinsar as a major tourist destination remains a distant dream.
It is not only that the essential services like accommodation, drinking water and electricity are most needed at Surinsar, the dilapidated condition of the ancient lake is also a cause of worry which also needs to be looked into seriously by the authorities.
The fresh water lake is not only continued to shrink but its aquatic life is slowly but steadily facing imminent extinction. |
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