Yousmarg, (Budgam) ,December 23, (Scoop News)- “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. The hotel was jointly inaugurated by the minister for tourism Ghulam Ahmed Mir and minister for Finance and Ladakh affairs, Abdul Rahim Rather who also represents the area in state assembly.
“This place has the potential to give competition of established touristic places and 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 shall be giving them a subsidy of 50% and on an expenditure of Rs one crore on construction of hotels, Rs 30 lakh shall be provided by the department, hence urging them to create their livelihood by engaging in tourism related activities. Reminding them that Rs 29 crores had been earmarked for Yusmarg out of which Rs 21 crores have been spent already on constructing huts, herbal garden, JKTDC hotel and other landscaping. “Now is the time to strengthen the hands of Yousmarg development authority by local people’s participation, without which tourism can’t flourish”. Thanking the UPA government at centre, Mr Mir said that 12 development authorities across the state wouldn’t have come up without the support of central government and all of them aim at providing livelihood to locals and develop Kashmir as a world class tourist destination.
The hotel Kongposh of JKTDC has come up with an expenditure of Rs 3.97 crores and consists of 23 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.
Abdul Rahim Rather thanked people of his constituency for braving sub zero temperatures and being present in huge numbers at the occasion. 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, he 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. “First developmental activity in infrastructure building is road network, which his constituency can boast of”,he said with great contentment.
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.
Rather said be it contemporary government at centre lead by Manmohan Singh or the forefathers of Indian National congress, the Congress party have always given special importance to Kashmir and the current coalition of NC-Congress at state level is an everlasting tie up of two secular parties which no communal party has the power to break.
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 al the secular and peace loving people of the country and j7k 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 Yousmarg was also laid jointly by the ministers.TRC shall be a double storied building and shall consist of 3 dormitories with a tourist guidance cell. “It is being developed in order to promote adventure tourism and shall have facilities of cloakroom, information desk, changing rooms and restrooms both gents as well as ladies and shall be in sync with the international standard”, informed CEO Yousmarg development authority, Javed Bakshi.
Among others, commissioner tourism, Zaffar Ahmed ; DDC Budgam, Khurshid Ahmed Shah; SP Budgam Mohamed Irshad ; Joint Director Tourism Hussain; Managing director JKTDC, Shamim Ahmed Wani; CEO Yusmarg Development authority Javed Bakshi ; and other concerned block and district level officers were present. District and block level presidents of both the parties, Congress and National conference were present along with a massive gathering of local population.
Source:http://scoopnews.in/det.aspx?q=34356
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