Lieutenant Governor, Girish Chandra Murmu today conducted a whirlwind tour of Purmandal- Utterbehni area. He was accompanied by Sh. Rohit Khajuria, Deputy Commissioner Samba; Sh. Shakti Pathak, SSP Samba and other senior officers.During his visit, the Lt Governor enquired about the project for development of Purmandal- Utterbehni religious tourism circuit. It was informed that the Project with an estimated cost of Rs 50 cr under Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) has been submitted to Government of India for approval and funding.The Lt Governor said that the UT Government is laying special focus on the development of the places of spiritual and religious importance and called for synergized efforts by all stakeholders in this direction.He observed that J&K has a vast potential to be a major religious and pilgrimage tourism destination and the Government is making resolute efforts to tap the immense potential in this sector.Amid the prevailing situation due to COVID-19 pandemic, the religious places have been closed down for the devotees to contain the spread of deadly virus but soon after the situation gets normal, the Government will expedite the development process of religious places, he added.The Lt Governor said that the development of religious places like Purmandal and Utterbehni will attract more tourists which will ultimately give a fillip to the economy of the area.The Lt Governor directed for construction of path/track to the temple complex at Purmandal under MGNREGA or any other scheme for the convenience of the devotees and asked the officers to assess the developmental needs of the area. He further instructed them to put in place a proper mechanism for the development of the spiritual heritage.