“Unprecedented rise in the tourist arrivals has necessitated the upgradation of all tourist infrastructural facilities at both old and new tourist destinations in Jammu & Kashmir.”
Shortly after taking over as Jammu & Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo has started reviewing the infrastructural facilities in key developmental sectors having a direct bearing on the local economy and employment generation in Jammu & Kashmir. After reviewing the development of new industrial estates in Jammu & Kashmir the Chief held a review meeting the very next day on working of R&B department with focus on upgradation of roads heading to new tourist destinations in both Kashmir valley and as well as Jammu division. Knowing that without upgrading roads the hassle free transport facilities to new tourist destinations can’t be provided to tourists the Chief Secretary has asked the R&B department to prioritise the upgradation of the roads leading to new tourist destinations. Since the unprecedented rise in the tourist arrivals has necessitated the upgradation of all tourist infrastructural facilities at both old and new tourist destinations in Jammu & Kashmir, the roads to new tourist destinations if upgraded in short time as directed by Chief Secretary would show rise in the movement of tourists at new tourist destinations in the coming tourist season next year. As highways used for travel to either Jammu or Srinagar are already going being changed into four lane tracks, the upgradation of the roads to new tourist destinations would improve the travel conveniences for the tourists both in Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division. The Chief Secretary’s intense interest in completing the incomplete tracks of the express highways which are of great importance for the travel conveniences of the tourists was quite evident from his intense review of the major projects including Semi Ring Road Jammu, Semi Ring Road Srinagar, Udhampur-Ramban and Ramban-Banihal Sections of Jammu-Srinagar highway, Jammu-Akhnoor-Poonch road, Chenani-Sudhmahadev-Goha-Khellani-Chatroo-Khanabal road, Srinagar-Shopian-Qazigund road, Srinagar-Baramulla-Uri Road, Z-Morh tunnel, Zojilla tunnel, Delhi Katra Amritsar Expressway besides roads and bridges taken up under CRIF, PMGSY and other schemes.
“As monitoring the maintenance of the road surfaces heading to tourist destinations would improve the quality of roads and henceforth ease the movement of tourist to tourist destination in Jammu & Kashmir, the tourists would come across new experiences of traveling during their travel to tourist destinations and in the process local economy will get a major boost at major tourist places both in Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division.”
While Chief Secretary has asked the officers to monitor the maintenance of the road surfaces that head to new tourist destinations both in Kashmir Valley as well as Jammu division, it is for the R&B Department to set the procedure for monitoring the maintenance of the road surfaces built and upgraded from time to time for hassle free movement of visitors to tourist destinations in Jammu & Kashmir. As monitoring the maintenance of the road surfaces heading to tourist destinations would improve the quality of roads and henceforth ease the movement of tourist to tourist destination in Jammu & Kashmir, the tourists would come across new experiences of traveling during their travel to tourist destinations and in the process local economy will get a major boost at major tourist places both in Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division.