Jammu, Mar 28 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday allayed fears of shortages of essential commodities, asserting that adequate stocks of petrol, diesel, LPG and kerosene were available across the Union Territory, and urged citizens not to fall prey to “baseless” rumours.
Addressing reporters here after the Assembly proceedings, CM Omar as per Kashmir Convener said the administration was maintaining a close vigil on the supply chain, with the Government of India having assured the Union Territory of uninterrupted supplies.
“There is no shortage of anything, be it LPG, petrol, diesel, or kerosene. People should not panic,” the chief minister said, adding that drawing from the experience of managing the COVID-19 pandemic, the administration was fully prepared to tackle any emergent situation.
He appealed to the public to rely only on official information and refrain from panic buying, which he said could create artificial pressure on the supply chain.
Earlier in the day, CM Omar, who also holds the tourism portfolio, struck a cautionary note in the Assembly, asserting that cable cars alone cannot drive tourism growth in the Union Territory’s potential destinations, stressing the need for a comprehensive approach focusing on infrastructure, connectivity and sustainable development.
Replying to a supplementary question raised by National Conference MLA from Karnah, Javaid Ahmad Mirchal, on plans to construct a cable car project in his border constituency, CM Omar warned against the assumption that such an initiative alone would attract a large number of tourists, stating that comparisons were often drawn with Gulmarg, where the gondola has become a major attraction.
“There is a tendency to believe that if a similar facility is installed elsewhere, tourist inflow will automatically follow. This is a misconception,” the chief minister said, pointing out that cable car projects in Srinagar, Jammu and Patnitop have not witnessed footfall comparable to Gulmarg.
Admitting that more could have been done in the past to harness the tourism potential of Karnah, Abdullah described the border region as exceptionally beautiful but backward and largely unexplored. He advocated for sustainable and inclusive development, suggesting that instead of focusing solely on large hotel infrastructure, efforts should be directed towards promoting homestays at the grassroots level to ensure direct economic benefits to local communities.
In reply to a question by BJP’s Shakti Raj Parihar, the chief minister said the government was committed to strengthening tourism infrastructure at major tourist destinations in Doda, including Lal Draman, Dedni, Dal Draman, Ramrachna, Galadhar and Dessa. He noted that a proposal for the notification of new tourism-worthy areas, including locations such as Udhrana, Sarna, Nalthi, Chinta, Guldanda and others, was presently under examination.
In response to a point raised by BJP’s Balwant Singh Mankotia about the failure of the government to outsource the international yoga and wellness centre at Mantalai in Udhampur district, Abdullah provided a detailed account of the facility’s history, saying it dated back to the time when Dhirendra Brahmachari had established his ashram there.
“This is not a new issue where we have only now started trying to outsource it. Even under previous governments, including the one I was part of about six years ago, we made sincere efforts to find a suitable party that could take over and manage the facility,” he said.
However, the chief minister said the government had not yet found a suitable party. He informed the House that fresh efforts would be made, with the government planning to float a fresh Expression of Interest (EOI) and relax certain terms and conditions slightly to make it more viable for potential operators. He expressed optimism that once a credible party came forward, the facility would be promptly handed over to ensure it became functional and the asset was preserved.
Comments are closed.