Jammu, Feb 5: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that he will raise the issue of closed tourism destinations with Home Minister Amit Shah during his upcoming visit to the Union Territory.
Responding to a supplementary question of Congress MLA Nizam Uddin Bhat, Abdullah said it is correct that some tourist destinations are still closed post the Pahalgam terror attack in April last year.
“I believe the time has now come to reopen them. From the government’s side, discussions with the Government of India on this issue are ongoing. The home minister is scheduled to visit Jammu and Kashmir in the coming days, and I assure the House, and especially the MLA from Bandipora, that this issue will certainly be discussed with him,” the chief minister, who also holds the tourism portfolio, said.
Nearly 50 tourist destinations were shut down by the LG administration after terrorists shot dead 26 tourists at Baisaran in the Pahalgam area on April 22 last year.
However, over a dozen destinations reopened in September, but many continue to remain closed.
Earlier replying to the question raised by National Conference MLA Ali Mohd Sagar, Abdullah said since the rules governing the of registration or renewal of all tourism units have been framed in 1978 as such, the tourism department is in the process of revising the Jammu and Kashmir Tourist Trade Rules with a view to further simplify, rationalise and streamline the registration and renewal framework for all tourism units.
“The proposed revisions aim at making the entire process more transparent, user-friendly and strictly time-bound, thereby reducing procedural delays and improving ease of doing business in the tourism sector across the Union Territory,” the chief minister said.
He said the tourism sector here remains a major source of both direct and indirect employment for local youth.
“The Department of Tourism is actively promoting the sector through the regular organisation of promotional events and festivals across the UT. These initiatives create diverse livelihood opportunities by engaging event managers, transport operators, digital content creators, hospitality workers, guides, artisans, and other service providers. Such activities also contribute meaningfully to skill entrepreneurship development, sustainable employment generation among the youth,” the chief minister said.
Abdullah said the department outsources various assets like the cafeteria, huts, parking areas and entry tickets, which provide direct and indirect employment to youth regularly.
Further, he said, the government has formally notified simplified guidelines for the registration of homestays to encourage community participation and promote inclusive and balanced tourism development, particularly in border and rural areas.
He added that the registration and renewal of guest houses, hotels, homestays, travel agencies, and other tourism units are being carried out online.
“The registration/renewal process is covered under the Public Service Guarantee Act. Upon fulfilment of all requisite formalities as per the prescribed checklist, the applicant is assured of registration/renewal within a stipulated time frame of 30 days through the online system,” he said.
Responding to various repeated supplementaries raised by the members, the chief minister said, “We ourselves acknowledge within the department that the registration process is cumbersome and needs to be simplified.” “I am personally ashamed to admit that since 1978, we never even thought of reviewing these rules and procedures. I am also responsible for this. Our government was in power earlier as well, for six years, yet we did not address this issue. Many of you have also been part of governments at different times, but since 1978, this has never done. However, better late than never, we are now working on it,” he said.
He said it is essential to simplify the registration process.
“It is not enough to merely link it with the Public Services Guarantee Act and claim that our job is done, because we are also aware that the penalty imposed under the act is not severe enough to truly deter officers,” he said.
“The reality, and we must accept this, is that in many cases when these processes or NOCs are deliberately delayed, the underlying intention is to extract bribes, so that once money is paid under the table, the file starts moving,” he added.
Responding to another question from MLA Banihal Sajad Shaheen, he said the government is examining a proposal to notify a new tourism destination in J-K, including several locations in Ramban district like Godagali, Nathatop, Daggan ToP, Neel Top, Mahoo, Sarvadhar (Pogal Paristan), Sargali Pogal, Chanderkote and Bhatni.
For the financial year 2025-26, he said Rs 117.27 lakhs have been allocated under the Capex Budget for the development of tourism infrastructure in Banihal-Gool Constituency. (Agencies)
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