4 new development authorities in J&K

Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department is adding four more development authorities for the integrated development of tourism circuits in the state, taking the total number of development authorities to 24.

The four new development authorities are Shopian and Peer ki Gali Development Authority; Basholi Bani Development Authority; Tosa Maidan Development Authority and Nubra Development Authority in Ladakh. According to Farooq Shah, Tourism Secretary & MD, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation, the new development authorities will allow utilisation of the untapped potential of these places and this scheme will benefit the people of the respective areas socially and economically. The number of development authorities will be now 24, with the existing 20 in operation. “This will be a big boost for the integrated development of tourism sector. We are working in the direction of making Jammu and Kashmir as one of the best tourism destination in the world by developing it with standard quality infrastructure for facilitating the visitors,” says Shah.

Jammu and Kashmir is aggressively working to enhance its infrastructure to equip the state with world class tourist facilities. A state of- the-art, multi facility-traveller mart and budget accommodation complex is expected to begin operations by the end of February 2017. The traveller mart has all the facilities for the comfort of tourists and other travellers entering the state through this gateway; it has an art gallery which will display the famous Basholi paintings, handicrafts of J&K, which can be displayed in the kiosks as well, informed Shah. “A master plan is being formed for a river front resort which is expected to harness the potential of unutilised 250 kanals of land facing the water of river Ravi. A complete DPR for beautification and landscaping of the said area is also initiated to make it a tourism attraction,” adds Shah. The said resort will come up on modern lines with a children’s park, ice ring and other tourist facilities. The Basholi area will be promoted to divert a larger chunk of Himachal bound tourists to Chenab valley via Chaman road. Water sports activities for tourism have also been proposed at Ranjeet Sagar Dam.