SRINAGAR: The government has said it has supported tourism promotion and infrastructure development in Kashmir through a combination of publicity initiatives and centrally funded projects, even as it acknowledged that no recent study has been conducted to assess employment generation from these schemes.
In a written reply to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha on December 18, 2025, Minister for Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the Ministry of Tourism promotes destinations across the country, including the Jammu and Kashmir region, through domestic and overseas campaigns under the Domestic Promotion and Publicity including Hospitality scheme and the Overseas Promotion and Publicity scheme.
Responding to questions on new destinations and expenditure, the government said tourism infrastructure in Kashmir has been supported through central sector schemes such as Swadesh Darshan, the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive and Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development. These schemes, the ministry said, are designed to complement the efforts of states and Union Territories by providing financial assistance for destination and infrastructure development.
According to details placed in the House, projects worth over Rs 564 crore have been sanctioned for Kashmir under these schemes, with more than Rs 494 crore already released.
Under the Swadesh Darshan scheme, six major projects were sanctioned in 2016–17 as part of the Himalayan Circuit. These include the development of the Jammu–Srinagar–Pahalgam–Bhagwati Nagar–Anantnag–Salamabad Uri–Kargil–Leh circuit, sanctioned at Rs 77.33 crore with Rs 67.37 crore released. Another project covering Jammu–Rajouri–Shopian–Pulwama was sanctioned at Rs 81.60 crore, with Rs 67.35 crore released.
The government also sanctioned Rs 90.43 crore for construction of tourism assets destroyed during the 2014 floods under the Prime Minister’s Development Package, releasing Rs 74.7 crore for the project. Tourist facilities at Mantalai and Sudhmahadev were sanctioned at Rs 91.99 crore, with Rs 91.93 crore released, while development works across Anantnag, Pulwama, Kishtwar, Pahalgam, Zanskar Padum, Daksum and the Ranjit Sagar Dam area were approved at Rs 86.39 crore, with Rs 69.95 crore released.
Another Swadesh Darshan project covering Gulmarg, Baramulla, Kupwara, Kargil and Leh was sanctioned at Rs 91.84 crore, with Rs 85.80 crore released.
Under the PRASHAD scheme, the development of the Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar was sanctioned in 2016–17 at a cost of Rs 40.46 crore, of which Rs 34.30 crore has been released. Separately, under the Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development scheme, a sound and light show at Nigeen Lake was sanctioned in 2012–13 at a cost of Rs 5 crore, with Rs 3.08 crore released.
The government clarified that while these projects are intended to boost tourism infrastructure and visitor experience in Kashmir, the Ministry of Tourism has not conducted any study in the recent past to capture data on employment generation arising from these schemes.
