A two edged sword appears to be hanging over the tourism sector of Jammu region which can, day in and day out, be substantiated with the realities on the ground. One-total neglect and loss of the requisite approach towards promoting tourism related spots and places and, two- an intrinsic indifference nothing short of disrupting and crippling even those projects which are eligible and even sanctioned under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP). These projects are oscillating between uncertainties and inordinate delays, now for the last many years. We have, otherwise been on many occasions, stressing upon the fact that Jammu tourism, in totality, faced discrimination, simple as that without any doubts, though we try to be cautious in passing such non-sweeping remarks but looking to the fate of the projects which have somehow reached near completion stage, say even up to 80 per cent, are knowingly allowed to languish and remain in a state of uncertainty and unpredictability to imperil whatever bright prospects of promoting tourism in Jammu region were envisaged.
While the usual alibis of the concerned authorities in respect of various incomplete projects initiated and run by UT run departments being the money crunch, in the instant case, it is not that – instead, funds are sanctioned and allocated too from the Central Government. There are various projects with intent to promote tourism where work on them is already going on like at Bhagwati Nagar, Jhajjar Kotli, Suchetgarh, Reasi, Doda etc under phase 1 of the PM’s Development Package, unimaginably only 20 to 30 percent payments have been released against as much as up to 80 per cent of already completed works. Such a mindset at the behest of which such state of affairs are reigning high in the Tourism Department reveals total absence of fairness let alone painstaking efforts on the part of the officers concerned and sounds totally unwarranted under ordinary course of business. If it is said that the approach in entirety is unacceptable which smacks of nothing less than parking right at the realms of simple sabotage, it would be no exaggeration.
However, there are pertinent questions which do arise while perusing the whole scenario in respect of the concerned tourism sector projects. Has there been proper and pointed follow up of those projects ? Has such a report in respect of each project duly compiled and action taken accordingly ? Are payments made strictly but honestly on stage wise completion of works and if payments are stopped, have enough reasons been given so as to rectify and remove the impediments in releasing of such payments? Are utilization certificates (UCs) prepared immediately after verifying the end use of the released dose of funds in order to receive the next instalment of funds? If not, who is responsible for that all in the Tourism department?
Generally speaking, we have been bringing into focus the invincibility and paramount importance of two things central to each and every officer’s performance in Government Departments. One-strict enforcing of accountability which include in respect of delays, deferments and whimsical approach to official issues of importance. Second-targets oriented job culture. Had this been the culture in the Tourism Department, most probably withholding genuine payments and causing about to be completed and commissioned projects to be rendered incapacitated would have not taken place. Another most important point which is hardly taken in its entire perspective is mandatory rotation of duties of employees within an office and regular transfers between offices or their district branches so as to pre-empt efforts to gain deep roots of indispensability and vested interests by “long in” employees. From vigilance point of view, this aspect of employees’ mobility is totally irrevocable and immutable.
We are given to understand that funds were lying with the administrative wings and were not deliberately released, a fact which must see thorough probe right from the Tourism Department to planning and financial sections dealing with Tourism Department at the Secretariat level. The fate of those projects which were prepared and submitted to the Central Government under phase 2 of the package too is unknown as there is no follow up resulting in promotion of tourism in Jammu being more of official rhetoric than any reality. The issues raised need to be sincerely looked into by the concerned authorities.
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