Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
srinagar, July 18: The state government's tourism department had arranged foreign trip of two former ministers of previous NC- Congress government and some other officials, in the year 2014 costing state exchequer above Rs 40.3 Lacs.
Official sources told early times that though the former tourism minister G.A Mir and the former MOS tourism Sajad Ahmad Kichloo along with some officials in the year 2014 visited different foreign countries for promotion of tourism and spent huge amount, yet the state had witnessed a lesser number of foreign arrivals as compared to the 2015.
Sources said that in the year 2014, the number of foreign tourists was recorded to be 27172 while as in 2015 it was 28954.
Sources said that the sole motive of the trip was to pass bills not to promote tourism on ground.
According to the data available with early times, the then tourism minister, G.A .Mir, then Director tourism Talat Parvez, then Director tourism Jammu, Soujanya Kumar, then Managing Director, JKTDC Shamim Ahmad spent 19, 09,438 for the trip to MITT, Moscow.
Similarly former MOS tourism Sajad Ahmad Kichloo, former Managing Director, JKCCC Tufail Ahmad Matoo, Joint Director tourism Kashmir, Mohammad Hussain Mir spent 11, 37,534 for the trip to EMITT, Turkey, Jordon.
The data further said that former secretary tourism, Zaffar Ahmad Bhat, former Director Tourism Kashmir Talat Parvez spent 9, 29,708 for the Dubai trip.
It is also mentioned that in charge Winter sports, Gulmarg Shabir Ahmad Wani and Tourism officer, Pahalgam Bilal Ahmad spent 2, 26,769 for Australia trip.
Sources also said that J&K Tourism Department has spent Rs 312.98 lakh on advertisements in print and electronic media "for the promotion of tourism" since 2015 till date.
Meanwhile tourism experts believe that tourism department over the years has failed to attract the tourists despite the department spends crores for the promotional programs in and outside the state.
The data reveals that in 2008 expenditure shown for the visit of a delegation to outside country is 8, 67,660 and the visitors were then Director Tourism from Jammu, Director Tourism Kashmir and deputy Director tourism Kashmir
For their Berlin and London tours in 2008-09, the expenditure shown is Rs. 203971, Rs. 585340 and Rs. 790172 and again the visitors were the then Minister of tourism, secretary tourism and Deputy Director Tourism Kashmir.
Again in 2008-09, the expenditure shown on the visits of Director Tourism kashmmir, P.A to deputy Chief Minister, Director Tourism Jammu, is Rs 2316225, Rs 1126990 and Rs1424729 for their three visits.
The expenditure shown on the visit of the Minister and Director of Tourism Kashmir to Dubai in 2010 is Rs 898845, next time Minister and Director Tourism were accompanied by MD JKTDC and Director Tourism Kashmir to participate in Dubai global village festivals and the expenditures were Rs 1021552 and Rs 1222506. In the same year again the expenditure on their London visit was Rs 2287744.
In 2012 the expenditures shown on the visits of Minister Tourism, Directors of state Tourism, manager JKTDC,ADT Gulmarg and ADT, Leh on two occasions was Rs10,15624,981466 and $7389 . |
