Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 27: At a time when eco-tourism is receiving required focus world over, a committee constituted by the State Government to work out details for promotion of tourism in wildlife, forests and eco-sensitive zones within a period of one month has failed to submit report even after one year of its framing.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that the General Administration Department vide order No.856 of 2012 dated August 9, 2012 had constituted a committee to work out the details for promotion of tourism in wildlife, forests, eco-sensitive zones giving full attention to conserving the wildlife, carrying capacity and sustainability.
The committee comprising Commissioner Secretary, Tourism and Culture Department as its chairman and Commissioner Secretary Forest Department, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Chief Wildlife Warden, Director Tourism Kashmir and Director Tourism Jammu as its members had to submit its report within a period of one month after working out the details of action plan for promotion of tourism relating to wildlife, forests, eco-sensitive zones etc.
Moreover, the committee had the task to prepare inventory of natural sites in the State which can be further promoted and to assess the requirement of financial assistance from the Union Ministry of Tourism, sources said.
“Though the committee convened some meetings and arrived at consensus with the Forest Department on certain points yet it failed to complete the assigned task despite the lapse of one year against the time frame of one month given in this regard”, sources said, adding “the committee has failed to accomplish the task despite the fact that world over focus is being laid on promoting tourism in wildlife and forests”.
When contacted, Commissioner Secretary, Tourism, Atul Duloo said, “we have been able to convince the Forest Department to help Tourism Department in creating infrastructure without major hurdles and some positive steps would come to fore in near future”.
“The decision of the Forest Department to take money from us and create infrastructure as per our requirement in Lolab Bangus valley is an encouraging step”, he said, adding “as far as preparing action plan and submitting report, we will complete this exercise shortly”.
When approached for comments on failure of the committee to submit report, the Minister for Tourism, G A Mir expressed ignorance about any such order. He, however, admitted that promotion of tourism in wildlife and forest was required to be given due attention.
Disclosing that he will start reviewing the performance of Tourism Development Authorities from September 4, the Minister said, “during the review meetings the hurdles vis-à-vis creation of infrastructure in forest areas will come to my notice and thereafter I will approach the Forest Department to utilize our money and get the infrastructure created for us instead of transferring the land which takes lot of time”.
Stating that Jammu and Kashmir has huge potential for promotion of tourism in forest and wildlife, he said that all the departments have also been approached with the request to share the information relating to their pilot projects so that Tourism Department co-relates its activities with the same, create way side amenities and recreational facilities in the forests, agricultural farms, orchards and horticulture fields leading to these projects before highlighting such areas for tourism promotion.
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