Describing Pir Panchal region as a treasure of heritage and adventure tourism, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today stressed on developing spots, particularly heritage sites, along the historic Mughal Road to attract niche tourists from all across the country.Chairing the Governing Body meetings of Poonch and Rajouri Tourism Development Authorities here today, the Chief Minister asked for developing places like Peer Ki Gali, Noori Chamb, Chingus, Mughal Sarai, Bhimber Gali, old Poonch fort etc. along the Mughal Road so that the heritage and history lovers besides tourists of high spending are attracted and the whole area gets exposed to the vast tourism market thereby giving a boost to local economy.The Chief Minister directed setting up food courts, viewpoints, wayside facilities including rest rooms along the Mughal Road for converting the entire Pir Panchal region into a major tourist destination. She directed the Education Department to take students to familiarisation visits to these areas in the region so that the future generation gets to know the State better.Mehbooba Mufti directed exploring the viability possibility of a cable car project upto the shrine of Hazrat Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah in Rajouri and an artificial lake at Tata Pani. She also directed developing facilities for tourists at the shrine of Hazrat Baji Mian Muhammad Ismail (RA) at Jhandi, Rajouri.
The Chief Minister was informed that an Ecotourism Park at Patli Qilla, Kotranka is being developed by the district administration in convergence mode and it would be thrown open next year.The Chief Minister was informed that Rs. Five crore are being expended on developing wayside facilities along the Mughal Road even as Base Camp for Trekkers is being set up at Noori Chamb.Minister for FCS&CA and Information, Choudhary Zulfkar; Minister for Animal & Sheep Husbandry, Abdul Ghani Kohli; Minister of State for Tourism, Priya Sethi; legislators, Choudhary Qamar Hussain; Ravinder Raina, Vibodh Gupta and Surinder Choudhary were present in the meeting of the Rajouri Tourism Development Authority while as Minister of State for Tourism, Priya Sethi; legislators, Javid Rana, Shah Muhammad Tantray, Pradeep Sharma and Dr. Shahnaz Ganaie were present in the meeting of Poonch Tourism Development Authority.Secretary, Tourism, M H Malik; Deputy Commissioners of Rajouri and Poonch; Director, Tourism, Jammu, Smita Sethi; and other senior officers were present in these meetings.