Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Ferry services in Baglihar Dam reservoir soon: DDC Doda

In order to felicitate tourism and strengthen the coordination between the Tour and Travel operators of various travel agencies with the Local people, Hoteliers, and Beopar Mandal Doda, the District Development Commissioner Doda Sh. Syed Sharief-ud-Din convened a meeting.
While addressing the meeting the DDC Doda said that we have short term and long term for tourism promotion and at the moment we have to follow short term policy under which we have to utilize the available resources in the best way to start as soon the movement of tourist starts in the District. Each one of us will be benefited directly or indirectly and this is going to stabilize our economy and reduce unemployment and under long term policy we are going to build infrastructure including Tourist reception centres, Guest houses, Parks and augmentation / construction of roads, etc, he added. He said that Doda is the Gate way of the erstwhile District Doda and recently Government has declared the Baglihar water reservoir as water body and now Boats can be utilized on it commercially to attract tourists, in this regard a committee has been constituted to identify spots for construction of ports for ferry services. 
Participating in the meeting the local people lauded the efforts of the District Administration and Tourism Deptt. for bringing Doda on tourist map and hoped that as the inflow of tourists starts up slowly and steadily Doda will get its due place in the Tourism Map of India as more and more tourists will come here and enjoy the Natural and scenic beauty which is unexplored.
The DDC Doda also briefed them about the scheme of the Tourism Deptt. in which assistance is being provided to the interested persons who wish to make guest houses/ suites in their residential houses with the result income generating source will be generated. It was disclosed in the meeting that 15 Guest Houses have been so far registered who have made 2 or more than 2 rooms of their house as Guest Houses.
Later concluding the meeting the Mr. Sharief said that the need of the hour is to take coordinated steps which leads towards sustainable development and asked general public to come forward and take benefits of this scheme and generate their own income generating units.

National Heritage Trek expedition from May 15

Over 2000 trekkers to participate in trek expedition
Over 2000 trekkers from within and outside the State are taking part in National Heritage Trek Expedition in different groups from Panchari to Mantalai, is commencing on May 15, 2009, sponsored by the Youth Hostel Association of India (YHAI), J&K Branch in collaboration with Directorate of Tourism, J&K Government.  
The 07 days trek expedition from Panchari to Mantali touches unique heritage sites, green meadows and pastures; lofty mountains’ thick deodar forests; clear natural water springs; brooks etc. which provide trekkers, a glimpse of magnificent natural and built heritage of the State, offering youth a new trekking route combined with healthy outdoor activity. 
The base camp of the trekkers would be at Udhampur where adequate arrangements of their stay and food etc. have been made by the organizers. The first batch of trekkers would leave Udhampur on May 15 in the morning which after visiting holy Devika site, famous Pandva temple complex at Krimchi , would reach at Panchari for night halt. The next batch would reach Udhampur on the same evening and would leave for expedition on next morning accordingly and so on.
This was divulged at a meeting of officers of various departments held to review the arrangements of security and other logistic support from the district administration to YHAI under the chairmanship of District Development Commissioner, Udhampur, Mr. Ajay Khajuria, here on Tuesday.
Project Director, Adventure Promotion, YHAI, K.K. Gandotra, Col. R.P. Chowdhry of 71 Sub Area, Chief Planning Officer, H.H. Dutt, Chief Education Officer, V.M. Sharma, District Youth Services and Sports Officer, S.K.Bhat, Dy. S.P (HQ), S.M. Jangral and Organizing Secretary, YHAI, Udhampur, Sunil Badyal, were present in the meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, the DDC appreciated the initiatives and efforts of Youth Hostel Association of India in sponsoring and organizing the trek expedition which provides a chance to trekkers to have a glimpse of nature and acquaintance with cultural and traditions of the areas. He also assured the organizing agency of full logistic support from the administration whatever needed. The DDC also called upon the YHAI to maintain quality of food being served to trekkers and putting every activity of the expedition in black and white to avoid chances of confusion.
The DDC stressed upon the Police, Chief Education Officer, DYS&SO, Health department and engineering departments like PWD, PHE and PDD to render all possible assistance to organizers of expedition by adopting planned and pro-active approach so that trekkers may not face any difficulty, inconvenience or insecurity. 
Project Director, Adventure Promotion gave a detailed resume of the expedition and arrangements of boarding, lodging. Medicare, food and engagement of cooks and local guides for the trekkers etc. made by his Association to ensure smooth conduct of the Heritage Trek expedition.

"PDP facing extinction from political scene of J&K"

The senior National Conference leader, former Minister and MLA, Ch. Mohammad Ramzan today castigated PDP for stooping so low to use foul and indecent language against National Conference leadership. “Reading the mood of people and sensing their extinction from the political scene of Jammu and Kashmir, PDP has started behaving like frustrated lot”, he added.
Addressing largely attended public meetings at Tarhpora and Villgam of Handwara Constituency in Kupwara district, Ch. Ramzan said that the people are wiser enough to understand the false propaganda launched by PDP leadership against National Conference. “Hallow sloganeering, emotional blackmailing and double standard of PDP stands exposed”, he said adding people have witnessed PDP’s underhand deal with BJP at one hand and befooling people by abstaining from voting on the other hand.
Ch. Ramzan questioning PDP’s credibility asked them how long they can mislead people by deceitful tactics and double faced politics. He said, in fact, BJP has created PDP in Jammu and Kashmir to nurture the politics of divide and duality.
Ch. Ramzan said that PDP’s precipitation on matters like Sind Water Treaty, NHPC Power Projects, Human Rights Violation, De-militarization, Scrapping of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Double-currency, Self-rule is nothing but diverting the attention of people from their misrule in the State during which they unleashed the era of corruption, nepotism and malpractices in all the disciplines so much so that Jammu and Kashmir was adjudged as number one corrupt State in the Country. “Had this party been allowed to remain in power for more time, it would have made the State number one corrupt State in the World”, he asserted
Mr. Ramzan said PDP during their rule never spoke even a word about all these issues including human rights violation and killings of innocents which took place in large scale during their regime, but are now shedding crocodile tears for vote bank politics. He said people are aware of their commission and omission adding that PDP’s double standards are now amply clear to the public and the party is facing extinction within shortest period of time as the lie has no legs to stand upon and this party has been surviving on lies.
Ch. Ramzan said PDP is the amalgam of opportunist politicians whose trait has been somersaulting from one party to another for self ends. “Public has never been the concern of PDP since it got its birth through Jagmohan”, he said and added that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is the responsible for all atrocities Jagmohan let loose on Kashmiris as he did it as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir under the nose of the then Home Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.