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| Any central plan to end regional imbalance in J&K | | | If the latest reports are any guide the Dal Lake in Srinagar is being developed as a playground for world class athletes engaging themselves in playing various water sports..The plan has been finalised by the Sports Authority of India which will consult the state unit of the Authority before implementing the plan. If these very reports are to be relied on there is no plan to develop the scenic and famous Mansar and Surinsar lakes in Jammu region. Is it the latest case of regional imbalance of what people wish to call regional discrimination. Well both the state and the successive central Governments have spent a fortune on the conservation and development of the Dal Lake during the last 50 years. And rough figures reveal that the successive state and the central Governments have spent more than Rs.5,000 crores on the Dal Development plan. That is something different if the plan has failed to ensure development and preservation of the Dal Lake Between 2005 and 2010 the central Government should have spent over Rs.700 crores, which includes Rs.300 crores on conservation of the Lake and over Rs.400 crores on the rehabilitation of those families which have built huts and houses on the Lake waters. The successive state Governments have earmarked land for rehabilitation of those who were to be evicted from their houses that had been build on the lake waters. But till date neither the rehabilitation scheme has been implemented nor the houses and huts built on the lake have been removed.
If the successive central and the state Governments spent over Rs.5,000 crores,most of the amount has remained either unutilized or has gone waste, on development of the Dal Lak one would like to know what money the central Government had earmarked for the conservation and development of just two small lakes, the Mansar and the Surinsar? Not much. Not even a few crores of rupees. Had some amount been spent the Mansar would have, by now, built shelter sheds and the authorities may have invested in containing pollution, encroachment and degradation. As a result of poor development the Mansar and Surinsar lakes have not attracted tourists and excursionists. Once these two lakes were developed and facilities in the shape of wide motorable roads, shelter sheds, hotels and restaurants were built one could notice large number of tourists, who for various reasons are unable to visit Kashmir, frequenting the Mansar and the Surinsar lakes. It was not done and the result is that except for a few local families home and foreign tourists have no knowledge about these two scenic lakes.
Well if several other tourist resorts in the Kashmir valley, including the world famous Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Kokernag, the Mughal Gardens, have not tasted any major development in the last 40 years the story about the fate of tourist resorts in the region of Jammu has remained completely pitiable. It is so because besides these two lakes, the scenic slopes of Patnitop, Sudh Mahadev, Mantalai, various historic shrines in Poonch and Rajouri have not seen any development. What is worse during the tourism promotional campaign, launched the successive state Governments and those managing the Tourism Department, people in rest of the country are not made aware of the scenic spots in the region of Jammu. Had it been done one could have expected a fraction of Vaishno Devi pilgrims spending some time on visiting these scenic resorts. Imagine the benefit of even 10 per cent vaishno Devi pilgrims making it to Mansar, Surinsar or to Bhaderwah resorts and meadows. Over 80 to 90 lakh pilgrims visit the holy shrine every year and if 75 to 80,000 pilgrims make it to tourist sites in Jammu and Kashmir it could boost the economy of the state and of those directly or indirectly connected with tourist trade. People of the region of Jammu have experienced the pain of continued discrimination and it is time the current BJP-PDP coalition Governments puts an end to it. Hope the BJP, which has been crying against regional imbalance, become a bit vocal and forces the coalition Government to initiate measures for resolving regional discrimination. |
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