Minister for Tourism, Ghulam Ahmad Mir has said that holistic and equitable development of all the regions and sub-regions of the State is benchmark of the present government while reaching out to people in all areas has been made obligatory function of the administration.
Addressing several public meetings today at Polia, Sadiwara, Khagund and Gutligund in Dooru, the Minister said that upliftment of people living in backward and remote areas received priority in the planning and development process. He said the government is monitoring the development and upliftment of backward pockets and weaker sections of the society very closely.Mir said that empowering common people to ascertain from the government about its every action and performance is the governments’ endeavor , adding that through this initiative the government succeeded to ensure good-governance and transparency besides curbing corruption to a large extent in the State.
Asserting that last 5 years of the present dispensation is a success story of progress on peace and development fronts, the Minister said that restoration of peace in the State has helped to carry forward development programmes on faster pace besides addressing the public grievances expeditiously.Ahmad while highlighting the importance of applying eco- tourism concept in the tourism development programmes said that application of scientific methodology in developing tourist resorts is the need of the hour to conserve natural resources for our posterity.He said that development of eco-villages along the picturesque sceneries overlapping Kokarnag-Sinthan and Mughal Road would attract tourists and nature lovers and help in starting economic activities in the areas.The Minister said that tourism embeds economic development and welfare of the State, adding that safeguarding this potential sector is the national duty of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that people, especially youth, have to get involved at all levels in the government programmes aimed at protection and conservation of State’s bio-persity, forests and environment.