Will give top priority to trade, tourism if voted to power: J&K Cong

Jammu and Kashmir Congress president G A Mir on Tuesday said revival of trade, commerce and tourism would be his party's top priority if it is voted to power in the next state assembly elections.

"The youth of the country and the state in particular want employment and that cannot be generated until and unless we utilise all our energies for the revival of trade, commerce and more particularly tourism, which provides maximum job opportunities to the people in our state," the Congress leader said addressing a party function here.

Mir alleged that the state's tourism sector was neglected by the previous Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party government.

He said lack of a concrete policy and thinking resulted in decline in the tourist arrivals in the state.

"Tourism was at its peak in 2012 when the Congress-led government was in power in the state. The tourist arrivals touched the lowest level in the last six years in 2017 when the BJP-PDP government was in power," Mir said.

Most people in the state have been rendered jobless as this trend continues. They are fighting for their survival, he claimed.

The Congress leader said the people of the state wanted jobs and not "mere slogans".