Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today announced setting up of a Tourism Development Authority for Nubra valley. She said Rs 17 crore are being spent on the tourism development in the area. Addressing a public meeting here after inaugurating a bridge in nearby Thang village, the Chief Minister said Nature has bestowed Nubra-Turtuk valley with immense tourism potential and need of the hour is to exploit this potential to the optimum. She said the Government has already started various tourism development projects in the Nubra valley and with the setting up of the Authority these projects would get a focused attention.Mehbooba Mufti said a Cultural institute would be set up at Turtuk for the promotion and preservation of local culture, music and language. Similarly, she said an interpretation centre would be set up for the information and guidance of the tourists visiting the area. Also wayside facilities and residential accommodation for tourists besides upgradation of infrastructure would be undertaken, she said.
The Chief Minister said she is personally aware of the problems of the people of the area, more so on account of connectivity, and efforts would be made to redress them. She said survey on Turtuk-Haanu road would be conducted and once constructed the road would minimize the distance between Nubra and Kashmir vallies considerably. She said the case of opening of Turtuk-Khapaloo route would be taken up to let the people of the area meet their relatives living across the LoC as has previously been done in case of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawlakote routes.Responding to the local demands, Mehbooba Mufti said adequate manpower and stock of medicine would be made available at the Public Health Centre, Turtuk. She said she would ask the CAPD Department to open up a Fair Price Shop in the area for the benefit of people. She said other issues raised by the people would also be addressed.Chairman, Legislative Council, Haji Anayat Ali; Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar; Minister for Cooperatives & Ladakh Affairs, T. Dorjey; Chairman, LAHDC, Leh, Dr. Sonam Dawa; Executive Councilors; MLA, Anjum Fazili; Secretary Tourism, Farooq Ahmad Shah; Deputy Commissioner, Leh, P. Ramaswamy and other senior officers were present on the occasion.Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated an 80 metre long bridge at Kharpon-Thang over Shouq river. Built over a cost of Rs. seven crore the bridge would connect Thang village with Leh district and consequentially with rest of the State.