Department of Floriculture today organized felicitation function to honor the participants who participated in various competitions held during the Tulip festival-2017.Secretary, Floriculture, Tourism, Parks & Garden and Education Mr. Farooq Ahmad Shah was the chief guest on the occasion.Mr. Farooq Shah said that the State is bestowed with scenic natural beauty, high mountains, green lush meadows and world famous water bodies, saying that it is duty of every one of us to work for their protection, preservation and conservation. He urged upon the youth particularly students community for not using polythene in their day to day life to make the state polythene free. He termed tourism industry as the back bone of state economy of which most of people are linked with it.Mr. Farooq Shah said that the area of Tulip garden would be extended and more varieties of Tulip bulbs and Cherry Plasm would be introduced in the garden during the next season.
Mr. Farooq Shah said the Government is making all out efforts for beautification of parks and gardens to attract more and more local, domestic and foreign tourists. He said work on beautification of eight gardens in Jawahar Nagar area is going-on in full swing which would be thrown open very shortly. He informed that Dahlia Park would also thrown open for public within 15 days.Complimenting the Floriculture department for maintaining Tulip Garden, the Secretary said that more than two lakh tourists and locals visited during the Tulip festival. He also complimented the students and other award winners who were adjudged first, second and third respectively in art and photography competitions during the Tulip Festival-2017. Urging upon the concerned for organizing such more competitions during the festival, the Secretary said that such events provide platform to budding artists to show hidden artistic potential among them. He asked the concerned for organizing such events in future ensuring massive participation of students.Later, the Secretary distributed certificates of appreciation, trophies and mementoes among the students of various schools and other artists of Valley who were adjudged first, second and third respectively in art and photography competitions held during the Tulip Festival-2017. He also handed over mementoes among different departments which participated during the festival.Pertinent to mention that the Tulip Festival which commenced from 1 April 2017 ran for 40 days.