KL Report
SRINAGAR
Minister for Health and Medical Education, ARI and Trainings Ch Lal Singh Tuesday said that government will focus on developing religious places in Jammu region to promote pilgrim tourism.
The Minister said that efforts are being made to draw pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi shrine to other tourist resorts of the region particularly in Akhnoor town.
He informed that government has spent Rs 7 crore for creating various infrastructure facilities at Akhnoor, adding that Government intends to promote water-sports in river Chenab at Akhnoor to promote tourism, an official statement said this evening.
The minister said that instructions have been issued to concerned authorities for conservation and protection of historical monuments and sites.
He said fillip in state’s tourism is embedded in linking it with cultural distinctiveness of the state, which can attract domestic, foreign and Indian Diaspora to the state.
He further said that all the regions of the state have their own distinct identity and cultural heritage, which is being protected and showcased as heritage tourism. He said restoration and conservation of several heritage sites in Akhnoor is on which includes famous Akhnoor Fort, Jio Pota Ghat, Terra Cotta, Buddhist monuments at Ambaran, Pandow Gufa, Sumah, Jio Poto Library developing the right bank of Chenab river as heritage site.
For facilitating pilgrims and tourists at Akhnoor town, the Minister said Government has created modern line wayside facilities in various sectors in the area like recreational garden, parks, landscaping, view point, toilet blocks, fencing, illumination, drinking water besides construction of recreational parks near the right banks of river Chenab, he added.
