JK News Today

Jammu, March 22:

At a time when the season in tourism state of Jammu and Kashmir is about to begin, the infrastructure at an important destination of Kishtwar to Sinthan is still delaying after announcement by the state government.

Despite announcement, the PDP-BJP coalition government is yet to begin with the important tourism project to build infrastructure from Kishtwar to Sinthan, while the project was sanctioned by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in the year 2013-14.

Official sources in the Tourism Department said that the through central government has sanctioned Rs 7.37 crore tourism projects for the development of tourism infrastructure on Kishtwar- Sinthan Top circuit, but nothing has been done during the tenure of present government.

During last Budget Session, the Minister of State for Tourism, Priya Sethi on the floor of house informed that the Minister said that Rs 5.89 crore have been released in the first instance for taking up various components envisaged in the tourism project at Sinthan Top, Dedpath and Mughal Maidan. She, however, said that the works on some components were delayed due to litigation and non-issuance of forest clearance. She said the government was vigorously pursuing the court case to get the stay vacated, while tenders have been floated for Mughal Maidan after getting forest clearance and the work would be started shortly.

Whereas, the sources added that due to the lack of liason among the Tourism and Forest department, this very important tourism project is delayed by years as it was sanctioned during the tenure of UPA government in the centre, while NC-Congress government in the state.

The project includes the construction of food joints, shelter points, toilet blocks and car parking at Sinthan Top and Ghat, reastaurent, prefeb hut, pathways, water channels, timber jetty, toilet blocks and parking at Dedpath.

Deadline for completion of this project was also raised by Congress MLA from Inderwal, GM Saroori and he told that government has only assured, but nothing has been done on the ground, while it is an important tourism deatination, which connects Kashmir valley with Erstwhile Doda district and especially Kishtwar. During summer season, huge number of tourists visits Kishtwar and they prefer to explore these destinations, but it require completion of such projects.