Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, May 5: Expressing its displeasure over the `poor’ functioning of 14 Overseas Indian Tourism offices to attract foreign tourists to the country and especially to Kashmir and Ladakh, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Tourism, Transport and Culture, has pointed out that no funds were released by the Union Ministry for prestigious Mubarak Mandi Heritage Project in Jammu and Eco and Adventure Circuit in last three years.
A 30-member Parliamentary Standing Committee headed by senior Parliamentarian, Sitaram Yechuri and a lone Congress MP Madan Lal Sharma from J&K, in its report released on May 2, 2013, expressed dismay over the non-release of funds for Mubarak Mandi Heritage Project in J&K besides the Eco Tourism Circuit in last three years. It pointed out that with the delay in funding, these projects including in Aurangabad of similar nature and Arunachal Pradesh, identified much earlier could not be taken up.
It also pointed out that Union Ministry not provided even a penny for construction of building for IISM at Gulmarg in Kashmir despite the fact that it released an amount of Rs 1282 crore under Centrally sponsored scheme during last year. The Committee recommended that the concerned State Governments may be encouraged to take the follow up action in this regard and the funds may be granted for these projects.
The Committee further observed that even though the Rural Tourism scheme was started by the Union Tourism Ministry during 2002-03, the scheme has not made much success and progress so far, Only 186 projects have been sanctioned since the inception of the Scheme. Unfortunately, the completion status is even less than 50% as only 90 projects out of the total 186 have been completed in last one decade.
Now, the said scheme has been replaced with the Rural Tourism Cluster Scheme. Moreover, the Committee recommended that undue delay in implementation was not acceptable. It also recommended that Tourism Ministry may set the guidelines in such a way that scheme may yield results at the earliest.
The Committee was apprised by the Secretary Tourism that the total plan allocations for the Ministry of Tourism during 11th Pan (2007-08 to 2011-12) was Rs 4953 crore and Rs 4896 crore (98.8 %) stood utilized. The J&K State having vast tourism potential was allotted highest number of 145 projects with the cost of Rs 391.17 crore, followed by Andhra Pradesh Rs 244.62 crore, Sikkim Rs 213.68 crore, Madhya Pradesh 203 crore and Uttrakhand Rs 198.68 crore. A total 1226 projects were sanctioned during this period in the country. The Committee noted it with serious concern that some States are diverting these funds according to their own priority and it recommended that Tourism Ministry should actively pursue each of these projects sanctioned to ensure that the sanctioned amount is utilized in the prescribed manner for the approved projects only.
The committee expressed its displeasure over the functioning of most of the Overseas Indian Tourism offices out of the total 14 existing abroad. The purpose of these offices is to promote India as preferred tourism destination in the global tourism market. But the Committee was pained to note that out of 14 Overseas offices, four were headless while other four are headed by deputationists. It was learnt that many of them have no experience in promotion of Tourism within India.
The committee was at loss to see that working of these 14 Overseas offices is needed to be improved with the posting of most experienced and right kind of stuff. It observed that while looking at the possible contribution from Tourism to our GDP and employment, role of Indian Tourism offices abroad becomes of utmost significance. It also noted with anger that Overseas campaign is not being utilized properly by these offices having poor experience of the relevant field and the purpose is being defeated.
The Parliamentary Committee therefore, strongly recommended considering the policy regarding postings abroad and including an element of experience in relevant area in the guidelines for this purpose. It also recommended that favouritism should not be encouraged while making postings of the officers in the Overseas offices of Tourism abroad. The Committee also suggested that tourist vehicles with All India permit may be taxed uniformly so that bottle-necks in the tax structures and the difficulties faced by tourists in crossing the State borders could be addressed properly.
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