Rs 500 crore tourism development package for J&K

Projects were approved on Friday under the Prime Minister Reconstruction Plan

Projects entailing an expenditure of around Rs 500 crore for the development of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir were approved on Friday under the Prime Minister Reconstruction Plan, an official communique said.

The nod came from the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee chaired by Union Tourism Secretary Vinod Zutshi for integrated development of tourist facilities on the Mantalai-Sudhmahadev-Patnitop circuit with Rs 99.99 crore, Baramulla-Kupwara-Leh circuit with Rs 99.98 crore, Rajouri-Bafliyaz-Shopian-Pulwama circuit with Rs 99.99 crore and Anantnag-Kishtwar-Pahalgam-Daksum-Ranjit Sagar dam circuit with Rs 99.75 crore.

In addition, Rs 99.99 crore were approved for the development of tourist facilities damaged in floods.

"The projects envisage tourist infrastructural development in Jammu and Kashmir. Highlights of the project involve developing a convention centre in Gulmarg and Patnitop, development of ethnic villages and development of water sports centre at Baghliyar Dam-Pool Doda," the communique said.

The other major intervention proposed in the circuits include last-mile connectivity, tourist facilitation/interpretation centre, base camps for trekking, facilitation centre for pilgrims for Amarnath Yatra, light and sound show at Shalimar Bagh, illumination of heritage structures and provision of eco-friendly vehicles, it said.