Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 22: Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today called upon top brass of the administration to connect Bhaderwah tourist spot, a place which he said is more beautiful than Kashmir, with Himachal Pradesh through Chamba district and Punjab through Pathankot-Lakhanpur-Bani to attract more tourists, which would boost economy of not only Bhaderwah but entire Chenab Valley.
He said religious tourism has also vast potential in Bhaderwah and surrounding areas as a number of Yatras take place during Monsoon season and asked the authorities to take all steps to promote religious and other forms of tourism in the area.
During his visit to Bhaderwah today for inauguration of annual festival, Mufti Sayeed and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh had taken with them top bureaucrats including Chief Secretary BR Sharma, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister BB Vyas, Tourism Secretary Farooq Shah among others for taking on spot decision to promote tourism in Bhaderwah and surrounding areas.
The Mufti called upon the officers to take all possible measures to directly connect Bhaderwah Valley with neighbouring States of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab as it would lead to surge in number of the tourists. He said Bhaderwah can be connected directly with Himachal Pradesh through Chamba district and Punjab with Bani via Pathankot and Lakhanpur.
“Direct good road connectivity to Bhaderwah will be a boon for the tourism and we hope more and more tourists will be attracted towards this Valley,’’ he said, adding there was vast scope of tourism potential, which needs to be exploited by generating infrastructure and good road connectivity, which were pre-requisite for any tourist destination.
Mufti said the road networks from Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to Bhaderwah will become a tourist axis, which will benefit others parts of the Chenab Valley also and generate opportunities for the people to boost their economy.
Noting that only 1.7 lakh tourists have visited Bhaderwah this year, the Chief Minister said the number can go up manifold once the infrastructure is generated as there was not much scope, at present, for the people to extend their stay at Jai, Padri, Seoj Dhar, Kailash Kund and other such places. He called upon the Tourism Department to raise accommodation and other required facilities at all such places. He announced Golf Club for Jai and asked the Tourism Department to explore possibilities of skiing atop Jai, which will be snowbound during the winters.
Pointing out that Bhaderwah and other areas of the Chenab Valley have vast potential of religious tourism, the Chief Minister said what was required on part of the administration were the steps to tap it.
“We should immediately develop roads, construct shelter places and arrange adequate transport to boost religious tourism potential. A number of pilgrimages take place in Bhaderwah and other areas during Monsoon and other seasons, where more pilgrims can be attracted if we put in place good infrastructure,’’ he said.
Asserting that he was committed to make Jammu region as an independent tourism destination, which he had stated repeatedly, Mufti Sayeed said this was not a mere slogan but “we are working toward this and very soon the people will see the results’’.
He declared that he was not behind the power but has formed the Government to bridge gap between all three regions—Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
An official handout said during his visit, the Chief Minister also inaugurated the colourful Bhaderwah Tourism Festival, a carnival of rich cultural and folk events which attracts people from all over Chenab valley. He also chaired the 7th Board of Directors’ meeting of Bhaderwah Development Authority (BDA) during which he took wide-ranging decisions aimed at putting the tourist resort in the forefront of travel industry.
Asking the officers to bring hidden destinations like Bhaderwah on the tourism canvas of the State, the Chief Minister described creation of high-end tourism infrastructure as capital-intensive for which he sought participation of the private players. He said public private partnership in tourism sector will not only spur investment but also sustain local economy by creating job opportunities. “The footprint of tourists won’t increase unless advance planning is done to launch destinations like Bhaderwah and Jai. The optimal use of our existing assets will help make tourism a revenue-generating industry,” he stated.
In order to showcase Bhaderwah, Jai, Padri, Seoj and Kailash Kund as one-circuit destination, the Chief Minister ordered Tourism Department to convene a Travel Trade Conference on November 15 next month at Bhaderwah, to finalise family packages to increase inbound footfall. He also desired that leading tour operators be invited for Familiarity Tours to obtain firsthand appraisal. “Bhaderwah is an ideal leisure destination which can attract tourists from neighbouring Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in large numbers,” he said, while referring to Bhaderwah-Chamba Road as a major link to boost travel industry on the north axis of the resort.
The Chief Minister also ordered setting up of a clubhouse with composite facilities of conferencing, leisure, recreation and indoor sports, besides suites and rooms at Bhaderwah.
Laying stress upon the need to create cluster of huts to improve holding capacity, the Mufti outlined his plan to develop Jai as a resort destination by setting up of a golf course, for which he asked Forest Minister Bali Bhagat to expedite transfer of 1200 kanals of land to the Tourism Department. “Golfing is an eco-friendly sport and Jai has the natural contours and landscape where a golf course can be developed,” he observed.
He also directed Secretary Tourism to have a DPR prepared for an amusement park at Jai, on the pattern of Pahalgam where J&K Bank has set up one under its CSR.
In order to improve connectivity, Sayeed asked the Chief Secretary to take up with BRO the up-gradation of 32-Km Bhaderwah-Jai Road. He also announced construction of park with viewing decks at Gatti Morh, 12 km from Bhaderwah town.
To facilitate Kailash Kund Yatra, the Chief Minister asked Secretary Tourism to conceive a plan for creation of add-on facilities for the pilgrims, for which a project can be conceived under Pilgrim Tourism.
Placing high priority on improving intake capacity at Bhaderwah and Jai, Mufti Sayeed stressed upon creating cluster of villas for night-bound tourists, without disturbing the environment. He also issued instructions for completing the Bhaderwah Fort Conservation Project, for which Union Ministry of Tourism had sanctioned funds. “Bhaderwah Fort has great heritage value. It needs to be preserved by taking expertise from Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH),” he suggested.
He directed CEO BDA to involve citizenry in keeping the resorts clean and showcasing cluster of destinations in its brochures and in-house publicity campaigns.
Secretary Tourism informed the Chief Minister that Tourism Department is planning to diversify its activities to attract greater number of travellers to this resort. He said BDA has booked an expenditure of Rs.36.82 crore, out of the released amount of Rs. 41.02 crore for executing various projects under State Plan and CFA (Central Financial Assistance).
“We need to increase the bed-capacity from approximately 500 at present, keeping in view the potential of Bhaderwah to attract more visitors,” he added.
As many as 1.7 lakh tourists have visited Bhaderwah this year, including pilgrims who come to pay obeisance at Kailash Kund and Mani Mesh Yatra.
Earlier, on his arrival here, Mufti Sayeed inaugurated the Yatra Base Camp, which will facilitate pilgrims to Kailash Kund and Mani Mesh, which has been constructed at a cost of Rs. 2.79 crore by BDA. With bed capacity for 100, the base camp is spread over 58 kanals of land with facilities of 15 bedrooms, 4 dormitories and a herbal garden.
He emphasised upon completion of ongoing projects and set a deadline of March 15, 2016 for completion of additional accommodation at Tourist Complex at Teligarh. He also asked Chief Secretary B R Sharma to fast-track clearance of 10 kanals of land in next meeting of the Forest Advisory Committee for creation of wayside amenities and food courts at Bhal Padri and Padri, popularly known as Gateway of Chamba.
On development of Seoj Meadow, he directed the Tourism Department to carry out a feasibility survey for developing slopes for skiing.
In order to attract inward captive segment, Mufti Sayeed directed Tourism Department to focus on diversifying leisure activities by offering tented accommodation, paragliding, skiing and water sports in several scenic locations to draw visitors.
During his address at Bhaderwah Festival, the Chief Minister extended his heart-felt greetings to the people on the auspicious occasion of Dussehra.
Handing out an assurance that his Government will not discriminate against any region or people, Mufti Sayeed said that nobody will harbour a sense of injustice and deprivation. He hailed the multicultural ethos of the State which has withstood the test of time.
He said that relatively small number of students pursue studies at the Jammu University’s Bhaderwah Campus. He said there is an urgent need to optimally utilise the huge infrastructure and the human resource deployed at the campus by attracting a much larger number of students. “Unless we do that, the objective of setting up a satellite campus at Bhaderwah will be vitiated,” he added.
In the backdrop of huge potential in hydropower generation, Mufti Sayeed said the Skill Development Institute will be set up in Chenab Valley, which will enhance the prospects of employability of our educated unemployed youth from the region.
Highlighting the camaraderie between Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Nirmal Singh said the PDP-BJP Government will be the turning point in the history of the State. He lauded the Chief Minister for his vision to promote Jammu as an independent tourist destination. “I want to assure the people that the Government will last its full term and bring about equitable development of all the regions in the State,” he said while addressing a huge gathering of people, who had congregated at the inaugural function of the Bhaderwah Festival.
An annual event since 2006, Bhaderwah presented a festive look with a large number of people thronging the venue. The festival, which is major attraction for the people in the Chenab valley, attracts renowned artists from all over the State and the country.
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