Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 24: Former minister and senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla has alleged that Coalition Govt has failed to take care of the tourism sector in the State.
Addressing workers meeting at Preet Nagar here today, Bhalla said expansion of the tourism sector is the key for prosperity of any region. Tourism is considered as a leading industry in the service sector at the global level. It is viewed as new wave of economic opportunity as it acts as a major job generating sector. But it is unfortunate that present Govt has ignored this sector, specially in Jammu region.
Bhalla blamed that since Coalition Govt has assumed the power in State, it never said any word about augmentation of Jammu region tourism. He said the tourist spots of Jammu region are lying unattended. Tourism projects like Patnitop, Sanasar, Mahamaya Gandola project, artificial lake on Tawi river, Mansar, Purmandal, Lal Draman, Bhaderwah and several others in Poonch- Rajouri have been left halfway. There is no development work going on in Jammu region.
The Congress leader castigated Jammu region MLAs, some of whom are holding ministerial berths in the Coalition Government for remaining as mute spectators to the hierarchy of Govt. He appealed the Jammu based MLAs to be live to the situation and fight for the rights of Jammu people who have posed hope in them and sent them to the State Assembly. Bhalla said that Government has failed to take required initiatives to develop the city on modern lines and several mega projects either have been halted or moving on at snail’s pace. He said Mubarak Mandi Heritage project, artificial lake on Tawi River, Cable Car Project are among the major projects which have been ignored by Coalition Govt.
He maintained that the development of tourism enhances wages, salaries, rent, interest and profits. Since tourism is labour intensive, the greatest proportion of income comes from wages and salaries. In remote tourist sites like Doda, Kishtwar, Bhaderwa, Sonmarg, Daksum, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Aharbal, Kargil, Leh, Rangdum, Parkchak, Mulbek etc., it is the only dominant economic activity that yields good income to the people. Taxation on tourist activity yields income to the state and Govt must focus on it.
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