Hakeem welcomes PSC visit to kashmir, seeks package for revival of ailing tourism, transport operators

Srinagar: Saying that the recent visit of the Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) to kashmir was a welcome step, Chairman People’s Democratic Front (PDF) and former Cabinet Minister Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen on Monday urged the Center to implement all recommendations of the committee in letter and spirit with regard to revival of tourism , trade and transport sectors which have been hit hard due to prevailing political uncertainty in Jammu and Kashmir He said emerging situation post August 5,2019 followed by disastrous Coronoviru Pandemic have broken the neck of economy particularly in kashmir province adding that stakeholders of tourism, trade and transport need a massive economic l package to help them revive thier businesses.
In a statement issued on Monday, Hakeem while welcoming the visit of the PSC to kashmir, has exuded confidence that the Committee would understand the magnitude of plethora of problems confronting the people of kashmir and prevail upon the center to implement it’s recommendation with a sense of urgency to revive tourism and trade in the strife trodden jammu and kashmir. He said financial conditions of the people associated with tourism, trade and transport in particular have been devastated to such an alarming extent that they were under the grip of total bankruptcy. He has urged the Center to rise to the occasion and come to the rescue of traders , businessmen and tourism players especially hoteliers, shikarawallas and poor artisans by providing them a big economic stimulus so that they will be able to enable restart thier business activities.
Hakeem urged the center that extremely dilapidated condition of Srinagar-Jammu National highway and skyrocketing air fares were the two basic reasons which always play a spoil spot with the tourism and transport sectors and cause distressed socio- economic burden on the general people in kashmir more particularly to the respective stakeholders adding that Center should complete Four lanning of National highway- 44 on emergency basis besides rationslizing air fare structure to make it affordable even for poor and middle class tourists and passengers. He said frequent suspension of both road and air connectivity particularly during the winter months cause enormous hardships to the people and inflict heavy losses to the tourism sector.
PDF Chairman hss also pleaded for ensuring uninterrupted power supply and financial packages for artisans, employment package for unemployment youth and promotion of cultural and adventure sports, medical tourism promotion, preservation of cultural heritage, revival and restoration of lakes and other water bodies and better road connectivity across all tourist destinations including construction of Tossamsidan – Doodpathri – Yusmarg tourism circuits.