The report on the development of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir submitted by the concerned Parliamentary Standing Committee must provide an opportunity of an insight into how and why delays are accepted as routine matters in completion of vital projects sanctioned under the centrally sponsored schemes. When schemes are tailored and designed as also funded by the Central Government, why should implementing part not be attended to with all the seriousness it deserved for which the Parliamentary Panel has virtually grilled the system in the Government of the Union Territory. Referring to the most vital sector of the economy – the tourism sector which if developed in time and projects completed in normal course had the potential of giving a fillip to vast opportunities of employment to the people and deserved , therefore, to be properly taken care of. Does it not look astonishing that even a mandatory formality of submission of Utilization Certificates (UCs) in respect of massive funds sanctioned and utilized for creation of tourism infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir be not submitted in time to depict where the amount was spent so as to pave the way for releasing of further funds? The Parliamentary Standing Committee which comprises 31 members of the Parliament finding and pointing out slew of irregularities of different hues in respect of project wise analysis has expressed anguish for the ”reasons for such slow pace of work ” and has desired to know whether six projects under implementation in the UT have witnessed resultant cost escalation . Should such projects where physical progress has been reported at less than 50 % be subjected to a sort of apathy at local levels simply because those projects were centrally sponsored and treated as no one’s baby and thought on such lines that if delays too were wilfully caused, the cost escalation too was going to be borne by the centre. Such a mindset, we are afraid, is at work at the back of implementation process and the observations of the Parliamentary panel do carry a lot of message pointing towards total lackadaisical approach which is a matter requiring serious dissection . The Panel has expressed concern and wants to know about the status of projects under Himalayan Circuit Scheme . In fact , under Swadesh Darshan Scheme , the concept of circuit under tourism has broad connotations in that a tourist who enters a well defined circuit should get increasingly motivated to visit most of the places which are identified under the said circuit thus more activities and opportunities concerning tourism take place. Under this flagship scheme, the Panel has found four projects out of six projects where physical progress was not even half of the estimates despite the Tourism Department knowing fully that the economy of Jammu and Kashmir was dependent on tourism wherefrom it had its primary source of income. Jammu -Rajouri- Shopian – Pulwama like places have witnessed only 40 percent of the progress made on Integrated Development of Tourist Facilities . Take the case of progress recorded on Integrated Development of Tourist Facilities at Mantalai -Sudmahadev -Patnitop , it is just 35% while it is still lower by 5% in respect of similar facilities for Anantnag- Kishtwar- Pahalgam – Daksum – Ranjit Sagar Dam etc . Even in matters of f construction of assets which were damaged and destroyed in the devastating floods of 2014, still more than 25 percent of the work had to be completed. Referring to the mismatch between the sanctioned funds, released funds and their utilization under Himalayan Circuit Scheme, the position is quite disappointing and in particular, about the paper work in respect of submission of Utilization Certificates , less said the better. Needless to reiterate that non-submission or late submission of UCs results in not facilitating releasing of further funds for the proceeding phase of the respective projects again causing disruption of work and hence avoidable delays. Under such conditions and the unsatisfactory status of progress of vital projects of tourism , how could the aim of such projects of the centre in promoting, developing and harnessing the potential of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir be fulfilled? The Government of the UT and in particular the Tourism Department must answer and make it a precedent to fix accountability where recklessness and casual approaches were found to be the causes of delays and for not adhering to timelines especially in projects concerning promoting tourism in Jammu and Kashm
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