KL Report
JAMMU
In addition to 20 projects costing Rs. 97.37 crore sanctioned during last financial year, centre has sanctioned four more tourism infrastructure developmental projects of Rs. 16.42 crore for Jammu and Kashmir.
This was informed Tuesday at a high level officers meeting of Tourism Department held under the chairmanship of Minister for Tourism, Ghulam Ahmad Mir. The meeting was convened to review the physical and financial status of ongoing centrally sponsored tourism projects under execution at various tourism spots in the state.
During the meeting it was formed that new tourism projects sanctioned by the centre include creation of tourist facilities in and around Aharbal at a cost of Rs. 4.68 crore, construction of tourist facilitation centre at Hundar Turtuk at a cost of Rs. 4.06 crore, development of premises of Hazratbal Khiram Shrine at Bijbehara at a cost of Rs. 3.80 crore and Development of tourism infrastructure around Wullar lake by way of development of tourist resort at Ningli Wier Haigam and wayside amenities at Nandkhai Kashmir at a cost of Rs. 3.88 crore.
Besides the meeting was also informed that Union Ministry of Tourism has also released Rs. 39.79 crore for 35 ongoing tourism projects in the State as 2nd and 3rd instalment in March 2013. This amount is in addition to the funds released by the Union Tourism Ministry as 2nd instalment amounting Rs. 22.72 crore for 10 projects during the financial year 2012-13.
The meeting was further told that the Central Financial Assistance is provided by the Union Ministry of Tourism to the State for creation of tourist related infrastructure under the scheme of Product Infrastructure and Destination Circuit Dev Scheme (PIDDC).
Mir exhorted upon the concerned officers to redouble their efforts and accelerate the pace of progress on the ongoing tourism projects at all spots to ensure time bound completion. He also directed that utilization certificates of each project should be submitted to the centre well in time for release of next installments.
