Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Sham Lal Choudhary today said that government was keen to promote pilgrim tourism to boost economy in the state.“The state has historical shrines and religious places in every region which can attract lakhs of pilgrims every year and boost tourism- the most lucrative and inclusive industry which benefits every section of people both directly and indirectly” the Minister said after inaugurating a Amarnath Yatra Langar here at Railway Station.The langar has been organized by Shri Amarnath Barfani Sewa Samiti, from Alwar, Rajasthan and Shiv Mandir Charitable Trust Railway Station, Jammu.Elaborating further, the Minister said that the state in general and Jammu region in particular can highly benefit from the pilgrim tourism by diverting the influx to other potential spots.
He said with this objective in mind, the state government through the concerned departments has already taken various initiatives to use this opportunity. He said in such a move, the tourism department has made all arrangements for the Amarnath Pilgrims to provide them an opportunity to visit tourist attraction places in Jammu district and beyond under its ‘Jammu Darshan’ initiative.He hoped that the state would achieve new highs in the promotion of tourism Industry to catapult its economy.Meanwhile, the Minister appreciated the efforts of the members of the Trust for serving meals and providing accommodation to the pilgrims.