Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Nov 29: The State Government has mooted a proposal for construction of an alternative road for Amarnath pilgrims from Jawahar tunnel to Nunwan, Pahalgam.
Highly placed official sources told Excelsior that brain child of State Tourism Ministry, this ambitious proposal will be submitted to Union Government within days for approval and sanction of funds.
Sources said that over Rs 100 crore draft proposal is ready and it will be submitted to Union Government by first or second week of December by Minister of Tourism, G A Mir who has taken keen interest in preparation of the project report and bringing the area under pilgrimage tourism.
The proposal contained construction of residential sarais (Inns) for pilgrims on modern type at various places enroute with all basic facilities including, parking places, side paths with entertainment facilities etc sources said, adding the proposal was earlier discussed with Governor, N N Vohra who is also the chairman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) by Mr Mir who represents Dooru constituency in State Assembly.
Sources said as per the proposal, the religious place of Omooh where an ancient Shiv temple exists will be the first base camp in Valley for Amarnath pilgrims, adding that Omooh temple used to be the first base camp for Amarnath pilgrims during the rule of Maharaja. The Tourism Ministry wants to revive the same route to promote pilgrimage tourism in the area and convert it into first entry point for pilgrims in Kashmir.
Sources said that 27 feet road has already been constructed from Jawahar tunnel to tourist resort of Veerinag via Omooh by National Highway Authority of India.
Sources said that under this project not only the tourism sector in the area will get a tremendous boost but the pilgrims to holy cave will also get better facilities enroute and they will not face the problems as they used to face during night haltage at Mirbazar and other places to holy cave.
Sources said, besides the Omooh base camp the new yatri route will lead via Veerinag, Dooru, Achabal and Mattan to Pahalgam and all these places have a natural significance so far as pilgrimage tourism is concerned. This route will be safe and the pilgrims will have not to take the long route of Qazigund, Mirbazar, Khanabal KP road to Mattan and Pahalgam this way. Moreover the new route will also be safest from security point of view, sources added.
Admitting that draft proposal will be submitted to Centre soon in this regard Minister of Tourism, G A Mir said that his Ministry has kept the project among its priorities for next year provided sanction of funds by GoI.
Sources said that the four- lanning of Veerinag- Pahalgam road is the part of a mega Rs 5500 crore Doda -Anantang four lanning project which includes a 10 kilometer tunnel connecting Desa in Doda with Kapran in Anantnag district of South Kashmir.
This project is under the examination with Government of India and it has been twice discussed by Central Inter-Ministerial Group, sources added.
Sources said that as a huge amount is involved in the project the State Government has shown willingness of taking the project in hand under two parts. In the first phase, the Government will seek Rs 1500 crore Central assistance from construction of tunnel from Desa to Kapran and then it will go for the four-lanning in second phase, sources added.
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