Tasaduq Hussain
Kupwara, Jun 24: Stating that there is a need to explore the tourism potential of frontier district Kupwara, Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs and Cultural Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi Saturday said tourist arrival is a path of change and development in the region.
Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs and Cultural Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi Saturday arrived on a surprise visit to north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
She was earlier accompanying the Union Home Minister of India Amit Shah who was on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir. She was part of the two major events at Jammu and Srinagar chaired by the Home Minister on Friday.
Talking to reporters at Dak Bungalow Kupwara, the Union Minister said that there is a need to explore the tourism potential of the Kupwara district.
She said that her surprise visit aims to further open up the tourism potential and opportunities in the Kupwara district.
“Tourism potential and beauty of Kupwara district are yet to be explored. It is still untouched. In Kashmir Valley tourism is the biggest path toward change and development,” the MoS said.
The Union Minister also said that tourism can provide ample opportunities to the people of the valley. “With more tourists arriving, people of the valley will be able to get opportunities to make a better livelihood. It will help people to head towards prosperity,” she said.
The MoS also said that Meadows, Border tourism, Aspirational districts, and border villages have a great potential to be developed as tourism destinations. “They have a great potential to be the source of change. This visit is aimed at exploring that potential,” the MoS added.
Meanwhile, a senior administration official privy to the visit said that the MoS visited several places. During the visit, he said the MoS interacted with the officials and visited forward areas.
The official said that the MoS Interacted with the district officials of Kupwara at the DC office. “She reviewed the progress of various Central Govt. schemes,” the official said.
The official also said that the Union Minister in connection with border tourism visited forward areas as well.
“The MoS visited the Sadhna Pass Army Post,” the official said.
