No CEO for one TDA in Jammu, adhoc arrangement for 2 others
*Ensuring adequate funds, manpower least priority
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 16: Established several years back for bringing neglected areas on the tourism map of Jammu and Kashmir, majority of the Tourism Development Authorities are facing multiple problems during the past quite long time but the Government has maintained blind eye towards the same as a result of which the objectives behind their creation could not be achieved.
Several years back there was only Patnitop Development Authority but the successive Governments kept on establishing one after another Tourism Development Authority with the objective of creating sufficient infrastructure and facilities to attract tourists to otherwise neglected but picturesque areas.
Accordingly, infrastructure too was created and areas under the jurisdiction of these Tourism Development Authorities started witnessing tourists’ footfall. However, with the passage of time the problems being faced by these Authorities were completely ignored and presently the officers heading these Authorities are finding it difficult to maintain the existing assets what to talk of creating new ones, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
They disclosed that majority of the Tourism Development Authorities don’t have even sufficient staff for regular maintenance and upkeep of the assets and only few persons have been kept at the disposal of the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) for handling all sorts of works.
“Moreover, most of the Tourism Development Authorities don’t have even one Junior Engineer at their disposal for carrying out emergency repair works and every time they have to look at the Directorates of Tourism or the Roads and Buildings Department”, sources further informed, adding “in such a situation the damages remain unattended for quite long time and cause inconvenience to the visitors”.
Except Patnitop Development Authority and Bhaderwah Development Authority, the other Tourism Development Authorities in Jammu region were having Rs 2.5 crore budget during last financial year but this year the same has been kept at Rs 1.5 crore, which according to most of the Chief Executive Officers is grossly inadequate.
“We have so many plans to create infrastructure and more facilities for the tourists but in the absence of adequate funds and manpower particularly engineers we are not in a position to execute the same”, some Chief Executive Officers told EXCELSIOR while wishing anonymity.
Stating that there was no need to create additional Tourism Development Authorities by the previous Governments, they said, “instead attention should have been paid towards strengthening the already existing ones and bringing more areas under their jurisdiction”, adding “the decisions taken purely on the political grounds lead to shrinking of funds for each of these Tourism Development Authorities”.
“The intensity of the prevailing situation can be gauged from the fact that there is no office of the Chief Executive Officers of those Tourism Development Authorities which were created during past few years”, sources said, adding “moreover, some of these Authorities have created only negligible infrastructure ever since their establishment”.
Moreover, there is adhoc approach in ensuring smooth functioning of Tourism Development Authorities and this can be gauged from the fact that in Jammu region three Authorities don’t have full time Chief Executive Officers.
The post of CEO of Bhaderwah Development Authority is lying vacant during the past nearly one month and even additional charge of the same has not been given to any other officer. Similarly, the charge of the post of Chief Executive Officer of Kishtwar Development Authority has been given to Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Chatroo while as charge of post of CEO of Bani-Basohli Development Authority has been given to the CEO of Surinsar-Mansar Tourism Development Authority.
“How can CEO Surinsar-Mansar can frequently visit Bani-Basohli to ensure smooth functioning of both the Tourism Development Authorities remains a million dollar question”, sources said, adding “this adhoc arrangement is in place during the past nearly one year but Government didn’t find it appropriate to post full time CEO for Bani-Basohli Tourism Development Authority”.
They further said, “if the Government feels that some of the recently created Tourism Development Authorities have failed to come up to the expectations it should wind up the same and divert their funds to adjoining Authorities so that at least problems in maintenance and upkeep of the existing assets are redressed”.
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