Excelsior Correspondent
YUSMARG (BUDGAM), Dec 23: “After travelling across the country and the world as well, I have not spotted such a beautiful place but natives need to realize the importance of this natural treasure and preserve this mesmerizing landscape, pleasant weather, Kashmiri culture and above all the values of Kashmiriyat”, said Ghulam Ahmed Mir, Minister for Tourism, after inaugurating Jammu Kashmir Tourism Development corporation’s Premium Brand Hotel Kong Posh at Yusmarg alongwith Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs, Abdul Rahim Rather.
“This place has the potential to give competition of established tourist places along with the activities of adventure tourism like camping, trekking, hiking. The place can be explored for pilgrimage/religious tourism, as it has the repute of being the land of Nund Reshi, Sheikh Noor-u-Din Wali. Tourism is a sure shot way of bringing home socio-economic development and as long as tourism doesn’t link itself to local activities, it’s spirit is lost”.
Taking the occasion to aware locals about various schemes of Tourism Department, the Minister encouraged locals to buy tourist coaches on which the Department of Tourism will be giving them a subsidy of 50% and on an expenditure of Rs one crore on construction of hotels, Rs 30 lakh will be provided by the department, hence urging them to create their livelihood by engaging in tourism related activities.
The hotel Kongposh of JKTDC has come up with an expenditure of Rs 3.97 crores and consists of 22 super deluxe rooms. “It is equivalent to a 4-star rated hotel and is one of the premium brand of JKTDC which has been constructed keeping the local architecture in mind and has been constructed on environment friendly lines. After Khyber at Gulmarg this can very well be second in the premium properties in JK and first of its kind by JKTDC”, informed Managing director JKTDC, Shamim Ahmed wani.
Reminding people that life was instilled in Yousmarg Development Authority only in the year 2009, when NC-Congress coalition took over the reins of state, Mr Rather said that developmental activities need to be sustainable and scientific so that they don’t harm environmentally fragile places like meadows and water bodies and every step of infrastructural development needs to be taken carefully.
The Finance Minister further said that Doodganga, Bargah and Nilnag are the adjoining places of tremendous natural beauty which need to be taken on touristic map of valley along with Yusmarg .Possibility of snow skiing should be explored in the area and Nilnag-Yusmarg cable car should be the next step in the development of the place.
The Finance Minister expressed concerned over the spreading tentacles of communalism in politics adding that it was a dangerous trend which if not contained effectively could be detrimental for the secular and democratic credentials of the country. He called upon all the secular and peace loving people of the country and State to join hands to defeat nefarious designs of communal and fanatic forces saying that there was no place for such elements in a secular and democratic country like India.
He said politics based on Caste, Region and Religion has time and again been rejected by the politically emancipated people of India and the State. “Stressing that once again such communal forces need to be rejected by the people across the country lest they dent the secular and democratic credentials of India”, he added.
Foundation stone of Tourist Reception Centre Yusmarg was also laid jointly by the Ministers.
Follow our WhatsApp channel