SRINAGAR: Director, Tourism, Kashmir, Dr GN Itoo Thursday chaired a meeting here to review the status of projects being executed across various tourist circuits in Kashmir division under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP), Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan (PMRP) and CAPEX Budget. He also reviewed the status regarding the Departmental assets at various destinations.
Laying focus on strengthening of assets, the Director Tourism emphasised upon executing agencies to ensure that all the pending tourism projects under PMDP are completed at the earliest while maintaining the quality of work. He also sought immediate repair works and restoration of the damaged infrastructure due to recent snowfall. For this, he directed the officers to immediately submit the report on the status of each project.
Dr. Itoo also stressed on exploring the new and lesser-known destinations and improving the basic infrastructure there so that tourists can be diverted to these destinations which will also help maintain the carrying capacity of the popular destinations like Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonmarg during peak seasons.
Director Tourism Kashmir said they are vigorously promoting Kashmir’s known and little known destinations to attract the travellers from across the country. “We will be participating in the travel marts and also organising road shows in many cities across the country and are expecting a good tourist influx in the coming summer season.”
He also called upon the officers of the Tourism department to gear up for the spring and summer tourist season and ensure that facilities available across tourist destinations are well maintained and kept ready to host tourists.
During the meeting, the Director Tourism was briefed about the status of various ongoing projects in the tourism sector including those related to the development of Tourists Facilitation Centres, Tourist Reception Centres, gender-based toilets, installation of bio-digesters, solid waste management, parking, pathways and food courts, landscaping, installation of lighting, construction of the jetties, facilities at Mughal gardens and at pilgrim sites, macadamization of approach roads to offbeat destinations etc.
Joint Director, Tourism, Tabasum Kamili, Chief Executive Officers of various Development Authorities, Deputy Director M&W Syed Zahoor, Executive Engineers and senior officers of the Tourism Department attended the meeting.