Saturday 19 October 2013

Ignored scenic beauty of the winter capital

People of Jammu have time and again leveled allegations against the State government of Jammu & Kashmir for being biased. This is irrespective of the political background of the government at the helm of affairs. Similarly, when it comes to tourism, Jammu has lagged behind. This is not due to absence of enough tourist attractions but due to the fact that it has never been given importance.

The argument that Jammu & Kashmir government has failed to boost tourism in the region is evident from the fact that there isn’t even mention of some of its picturesque destinations on the official tourism website. Political games are considered the culprit behind this bias. Kashmir has always been an agenda for the politicians for their own selfish reasons and Jammu has taken a backseat in almost every aspect. They have ignored beauty that lies beyond the Valley.

Places like Mantalai and Shudh Mahadev are potential tourist hot spots, but they lie unexplored in the interior parts of Jammu region. Both the places have religious significance and are extremely beautiful and closer to the nature. But due to negligence on part of the government and failure to develop them, they remain an untapped resource. Not many tourists are seen there even in the peak seasons.


On one hand, government has developed infrastructure in Kashmir which is marred by terrorist activities, while on the other it has failed to upgrade even the existing infrastructure in comparatively peaceful Jammu region. The tourists are unaware about various destinations in Jammu. Hotels, transportation facilities aren’t provided to them which hamper their travelling expedition.  The government should give equal opportunities to both the capitals to grow and expand which would benefit the state’s economy as a whole.

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